Re: COBOL ILE

[Jim Essinger <esinger@xxxxxxxx>]

Greetings!

Modularize your application.  Break down the entire project so that each 
program (module) does one thing, and does it well.  Combine the programs 
(modules) that do common functions (such as account activity modules) into 
service programs.  Combine all file I/O functions into one service program 
with multiple modules, or all the functions for one file into a service 
program.  Then write the programs for your applications using the common 
modules.  This way, if you change the way a file is accessed, the way an 
activity functions (writing account history, or updating inventory) It is 
changed in only one place, and the entire system is updated easily.

Other modules can do functions such as interest calculations or any 
functions that are standard for an entire system.

Use the functions of ILE COBOL  that are unique to the AS/400, such as Date 
and Time data types, Intrinsic functions (date and time calcs being the 
ones I use the most), and EXTERNAL definitions of Files and field 
structures.  The EXTERNAL definition allows programs to share storage 
between modules with both modules having access to the data.  What is 
changed in one module is available in all others.  You can call one module 
that opens the file, another that formats the data, a third that fills in 
the special fields, and a 4th that writes the file.  Because the file 
structure shared between the programs by the EXTERNAL definition,  only one 
program needs to open and/or read the file.  All other modules have access 
to the data.  Field structures can be shared as well, allowing working 
storage to be shared between modules.  No fields need to be passed.


At 09:50 PM 5/25/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello All,
>               I'm trying to find out more information on COBOL ILE on the 
> AS/400.  I'm not new to AS/400 COBOL but very new to ILE and some of the 
> concepts. (Binding directories, Service Programs, etc)  I have a project 
> that is coming up and I would love to do it in ILE but I need to get a 
> comfort level with it first.  I don't want to just write OPM's and then 
> make them ILE I don't believe you get as much bang for the buck that 
> way.  I would really appreciate any suggestions!!
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Rick Smith
>

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