RE: how to create unsigned hexadecimal initial value

Bob:

Thanks for the reply.

Since ILE and the wild talk about MI and assemblers on the RISC boxes, I
didn't want to predict where the error came from.  It looks like an error
generated by the semantic checks on the back of the IRP parser in phase 2 of
QPRPH (just before template generation and invoking XLATE) but I gave myself
an out by saying "PRM or translator".  Mostly I didn't think very hard about
it and didn't want to look stupid.

The total investment in documenting the MI interface has not been large.  In
about 1983, it became obvious that I had to figure it out for myself and
make good contacts in Rochester if I ever wanted help.  It doesn't bother me
that the messages aren't very good.  My statement was not a criticism, I
just wanted to be sure that I understood what really happened.

I actually figured out the parms to some of the LUD and CUD instructions way
back then.  Since the published manuals were completely wrong and weren't
going to be changed, it was not easy.  I ended up talking to the people who
implemented those instructions to get the right answers.  That was kind of
fun - I'm sure those guys never expected a call from outside 507-253,
507-286, or 416-xxx - but I needed to know that I did properly diagnose the
issue.


Richard Jackson
mailto:richardjackson@richardjackson.net
http://www.richardjacksonltd.com
Voice: 1 (303) 808-8058
Fax:   1 (303) 663-4325

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mi400@midrange.com [mailto:owner-mi400@midrange.com]On
Behalf Of rjd@us.ibm.com
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2000 7:42 PM
To: MI400@midrange.com
Subject: RE: how to create unsigned hexadecimal initial value


On 08/24/2000 at 04:46:59 PM, "Richard Jackson"
<richardjackson@richardjackson.net> wrote:

     Feeling my way somewhat cautiously here, then the code is working as
designed but the error message didn't completely explain the problem that
the PRM/translator was having with the initialization value.  What do you
think of that statement?


Richard,

In my opinion, the PRM is working as designed (the translator is not
involved at this point), and I agree that the error messages do not
completely explain the problem. In addition, by reading the specification
for H-literals (see QPRCRTPG (Create Program) in the System API Ref at
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/html/as400/v4r5/ic2924/info/rzaj5_frm.htm
),

it may not be clear that H literals describe signed values.  Zero resources
are spent on this interface, so don't expect the documentation or messages
to improve.

The answer to your 2nd question: Yes, I have access to an online version of
the MI manual (but this whole online thing is really overrated:-).  I
believe the intent is to eventually publish the MI manual in some online
format (like HTML), but I don't know when that will be.

Bob Donovan, rjd@us.ibm.com


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