RE: RPG - conversion vs re-write

["Booth Martin" <boothm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If  the indicator doesn't travel with the field then of what value is it?  I 
mean, beyond the value of any other  indicator?   I am serious  -  is this a 
real added value?  Additionally it evidentally doesn't tell us anything about 
the field itself.  It doesn't tell us if the data is there, if it is valid, if 
it is alpha, numeric, binary, or whatever.  

This post may sound simplistic, but the value of RPG is that it can be done by 
mere mortals.  I am becoming terrified that I, as an ordinary RPG programmer, 
am becoming as irrelevant as WSU.  

If there is time to develop all of these new functions (and all of the training 
in the field to use them ) then why isn't there time to develop a show-stopping 
date function that works uniformly and consistently across the AS/400 platform? 
 Or, some ability to actually print various fonts and forms  _easily_   from 
RPG?   Frankly, my users don't care about built-in functions.  They care about 
a decent looking report, with borders and stuff, just like their little dinky 
spreadsheet program. Or even the date to say  September 12, 1997 instead of  
9/12/97.  Or, how about the abilty to predefine report and screen layout 
templates in a controlled atmosphere?   Or some closer tie-ins with VaRPG, and 
help with that training.

Please take this as intended.  If this offends you then it is because I wrote 
it badly, not because I am attacking anyone.



> Date:          Fri, 12 Sep 97 09:47:31 EDT
> From:          "Hans Boldt" <hboldt@VNET.IBM.COM>

> Actually, the example wouldn't work for another reason as well.  The
> "null flag" is associated with specific fields and is not passed when
> passing the field as a parameter.  
> 
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