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Buck, In a message dated 97-09-19 14:34:57 EDT, you write: > >On 19 Sep 97 at 9:12, Buck Calabro wrote: > > > >> >And still others (myself included) consider it to be punishable by > >> >death... > >> Why? LVLCHK(*NO) is just another attribute of a file, like SIZE or > >> MAXMBRS... If I create a file with 10 fields, write a hundred > >> programs, then add an eleventh field to the end, why should I be > >> forced to re-compile all one hundred programs, when I already KNOW > >> that none of them uses the new field? I have never given this > >> question much thought before; seeing these quite strong responses > >> against the practise gives me pause.... > > > >Buck: > > > >IMHO, Level Checking is one of the shining features of the AS/400. > >It gives you the security of knowing that your files and programs > >are compatible. I would far prefer to have a program fall over > >dead because of a level check error, than run the program w/o LVLCHK > >and run the risk of SOME OTHER program screwing up the data. > > > >If you defeat this feature, you throw your entire database's > >integrity into question.. > > > >Again, this is all IMHO.. > > David, > I understand where you're coming from, and I completely agree > with the basic idea, but consider my particulars: > * No documentation tool. Finding all the programs that reference a > file is an arduous chore. This means I'm not going to miss a few > programs; I'll miss a bunch. The client is _very_ impressed by > the quality of my work when her billing fails to run... Use DSPPGMREF to an outfile. It creates an easily-queryable data file. > * Some of my jobs do a SBMJOB CMD(CALL someRPG) No CL. That > means if it falls over, the client never knows about it until the data > is whacked. Yes, I fix 'em when I find 'em, but they're still out there. Wouldn't be a problem if you included your own error-handling routines ;-)! > * The integrity problem is already worse than you probably imagine: > Because this stuff was mostly converted from S/36, the folks who did > the original AS/400 work did not understand decimal data errors very > well. They changed the default CRTRPGPGM command to > IGNDECERR(*YES). That's right: we ALLOW decimal data errors in > the database. (NOT my idea!!!) If I can't make headway against THAT, > then I have little hope against something that's less harmful > (adding a field to the end.) Well, this just proves my original point about the /34/36 vs the /400. If YOU, who (we will assume) know the database intricately don't know how to eliminate the DDE's WHO DOES? If you had LVLCHK and IGNDECERR(*NO) in place, the task might not be so difficult. > When I was with my previous employer, we used Pathfinder and NEVER > did LVLCHK(*NO) because we were very confident that we knew all the > programs involved... I wish I could do that again, but that is "pie in the > sky." Again, use DSPPGMREF to an outfile. Pathfinder ain't that hot (they use MI programs if you're not at level 40 -- but 40 is a REQUIREMENT). Pathfinder also provides NO functionality that doesn't COME with the AS/400, they just organize it neatly. JMHO, Dean Asmussen Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc. Fuquay-Varina, NC USA E-Mail: DAsmussen@AOL.COM "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." -- Steven Wright +--- | This is the Midrange System Mailing List! | To submit a new message, send your mail to "MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com". | To unsubscribe from this list send email to MAJORDOMO@midrange.com | and specify 'unsubscribe MIDRANGE-L' in the body of your message. | Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com +---
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