Re: Date Handling Problem

[Jim Essinger <esinger@xxxxxxxx>]

Eric,

ILE (Integrated Language Environment) is a new model of programming for the
AS/400.  The design of the compilers and the communication between programs
lets you have calls to programs without taking a performance hit.  It has
to do with when the programs are bound together.  You can create an
application that uses the strengths of CL, RPG, COBOL, and C, and combine
them into a working program.

In the OPM (Old Program Model) if you had a repetitive call to another
program, the response between programs was VERY slow.   With ILE you can
break down your programs (modularize them) into modules that do one thing
and do it well.  Very much like Java or C++ and object oriented
programming.  If you create a program that does all of your file I/O, and
then force all of your programs (or programmers) to use that program to
request a bit of information, you can control how, and who updates your
files.  You can also borrow and reuse code fairly easily.  It takes a
little more time and planning, but the result can be worth it.

We have decided to code everything new, and most fixes and upgrades using
ILE CL and ILE COBOL.  You have the advantage of ILE and some features that
were not in the OPM.  Intrinsic functions come to mind first.  You can use
the date intrinsic functions to add an number of days, months and/or years
to a date, and not have to code the process yourself.  Other enhancements
include sharing working storage  and file space between programs, and
pointer manipulation (great for getting to that user space and using APIs).

The COBOL types you mentioned simply tell the compiler which way to compile
your program;  CBL being OPM and CBLLE being ILE.  It would not hurt for
you to simply compile all your programs using the ILE compiler, and use the
functionality that ILE COBOL has to offer.

Just my 2 cents.


At 09:53 AM 8/15/2002 +0800, you wrote:
>What is the difference between ILE and OPM COBOL?
>
>What is the difference in file types of CBL (COBOL) and CBLLE (Integrated
>Language Environment COBOL for AS/400)?
>
>I have been using the CBL source member type. Now, since the date problem
>has been figured out, should I just switch to the CBLLE source type of all
>of my beginning programs? Or will I need to use the CBL source type at all?

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Jim Essinger
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Student Loan Fund of Idaho
PO Box 730
Fruitland, ID 83619
208-452-4058
esinger@fmtc.com

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