RE: RPG III or IV? -- MIDRANGE-L

>Hi I got a question for all the more experienced RPG programmers out 
there.
>Is there a way I can find out exactly what version of RPG we are using? 
 I
>believe its RPG III.  What we would like to be at is RPG IV or
>RPG/400(ILE?).  Its kind of confusing to me, but I know since we can only
>have 6 digit Result fields in our RPG programs we are behind.  Also is
>RPG/400 and ILE RPG the same thing?

Gary,
  If you have 6 character result fields you are using RPG III,
or RPG400.  RPG IV allows much larger field names among other
things.

Here's a breakdown of things as I understand them (corrections welcome!)

RPG II - S/3, S/34, S/36.  AS/400 has a compatible compiler,
but the object code will only run on an AS/400.  This is mostly
used by folks who moved from a S/36 to the 400 and haven't
re-written their applications.  Really old and behind the times.
Member type RPG36.

RPG III - S/38.  AS/400 has a compatible compiler,
but the object code will only run on an AS/400.  This is mostly
used by folks who moved from a S/38 to the 400 and haven't
re-written their applications.  Kinda old.  Member type RPG38.

RPG400 - AS/400 OPM.  This is the "native" OPM RPG compiler, very
compatible with RPG III.  Fairly recent.  Member type RPG.

RPG IV - AS/400 ILE.  This is the "new" RPG compiler; it can
generate code that runs in ILE named activation groups, but
it doesn't have to.  Much advanced over RPG400.  You can convert
RPG III/RPG400 code to RPG IV with the CVTRPGSRC command.  IBM
will enhance only RPG IV from this point on.  Member type RPGLE.

ILE - Runtime environment that provides another level of
granulation for dealing with overrides, etc.  Only ILE
languages can participate in the ILE runtime.  This is
NOT a language; it is the runtime environment.  RPG IV
is called ILE RPG because RPG IV generates ILE-compatible
object code.

The compiler that you buy from IBM has modules that parse
each of the source types mentioned above: you get 4 compilers
for the price of one!

While you *can* do a CVTRPGSRC on all your source members and
make them into RPG IV, I would not suggest it.  Do a couple of
members for practice; to see what the new D specs look like, but
write your new RPG IV from scratch.  Why convert old, ugly code
into new, ugly code when you can write new, beautiful code using
modern constructs like prototyped procedures?  No conversion utility
will be able to do that for you.  Get some books, read up and welcome
to RPG IV!

Buck Calabro
Commsoft, Albany, NY
mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net
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