RE: what is unclear about 01 02 03 -Reply

[tgrider@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Terry Grider)]

On Fri, 1 May 1998 16:28:36 -0400 you wrote to me about RE: what is unclear 
about
01 02 03 -Reply

> > <snip>
> > >>      C   01 02 03                EXSR SR001
> > >>
> > >>Can left side indicators be all wrong?  I know, I know.  I won't
> > >>use
> > >> them, but really, what is unclear about that line of code?
> > <snip>
> > >Exactly what is an 01, 02, & 03?
> 
> For geezers like me who know that an indicator is a BOOL variable 
> with a number instead of a name, the lack of clarity comes from not 
> knowing what bit of code set each indicator on or off: the example 
> was carefully crafted to completely obliterate any means of 
> understanding the code (which was the point, IIRC!)
> 
> Even the subroutine name is disguised.
> 
> People have railed against the use of indicators for *EVER because 
> the indicator number does not help understanding the intent of the 
> code.  Without researching the rest of the program, we'll never 
> understand this line of code.  Us geezers have to learn to write more 
> l
ike:
> 
>      C           AMT$      IFGT WARN$
>      C           CUSTCD    ANDLTBESTCD
>      C           REGION    ANDEQMIDWST
>      C                     EXSR WARN
>      C                     ENDIF
> 
> which isn't crystal clear without comments, but it's _better_
> I'm personally happy that there are RPGers among us who don't use 
> left hand indicators, because it means that they're using more 
> meaningful names instead!
> <grin and duck>
> 
> 
> Buck Calabro
> Commsoft, Albany, NY
> mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net

Just a thought Buck,

What if you made the example above even more clearer by coding this way:

IF AMT$ GT WARN$
AND CUSTCD LT BESTCD
AND REGION EQ MIDWST
PERFORM WARN$
END-IF

Guess what?... Congratulations!  Your a COBOL Programmer!
Kinda makes you go hummmm!

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