Re: PL/I on V4R1? -- MIDRANGE-L

At 03:24 PM 12/23/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Folks:
>
>Someone at my office heard a rumor that PL/I is being withdrawn as an 
>available language starting with V4R2.
>
When we went from CISC to RISC (from V3R1 [CISC] to V3R6 [RISC] -
notwithstanding V3R2 [CISC] which came after V3R7 [RISC] [I think]), PL/1,
BASIC and Pascal were changed from LPPs to RPQs.  Ultimately, PASCAL was
withdrawn!

What's the diff?  A few things:  IBM basically provides less support for
RPQs than to LPPs or LPOs.  When an LPP or LPO is degraded to an RPQ, there
is significantly less of a chance of an upgrade path.  It's even possible
that it could be withdrawn! (see Pascal above).  Although I don't expect to
see PL/1 dropped, but I don't expect to see an ILE implementation.  Also,
there is a significantly lower chance that the
product/documentation/manuals (remember those) will be translated into
foreign languages.  Translation is not a big issue.  Most AS/400
programmers (but not necessarily C programmers) speak English to some
extent.  The quality of AS/400 translation is less than stellar.  (The
Spanish [from Spain} complain that translation is done in South America,
where Spanish apparently is very different.  At least in one prior release,
in German, 'data base faults' translated as 'data base mistakes'!)  

Remember, no matter what language you speak, when you write a record in
RPG, it's a WRITE statement.  Although CL was designed with the ability to
translate command and parameter names, this was never enabled.  Enablement
is not a significant technical issue, the enablement is basically there
now.  The cost of ongoing abbreviation/reabbevation (and subsequent
testing) is the bigger issue.  Text for command parameters is transilated.
I run French as a secondary language on one of my systems, although I don't
speak it, I have a client with a French requirement.  (Dave M., please
don't flame me, but the Display Monitorable Messages (DSPMONMSG) command in
TAA Tools was written to display the monitorable messages - on the fly - in
any language that the customer is using [assuming that the workstation is
properly configured - CCSID issues, etc.].)

Lastly, IBM has a financial interest in Synon.  I understand that Synon is
written in PL/1.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good byte.

Al



Al Barsa, Jr. - Account for Midrange-L
Barsa Consulting, LLC.  
400 > 390

Phone:  914-251-9400
Fax:    914-251-9406





Private mail should be sent to barsa@ibm.net
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