Re: Absolutely neceesary DDS keywords

["R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr." <rbruceh@xxxxxxx>]

Simon Coulter wrote:

> It also allows the display file to be used by any HLL without causing 
>contortions for the programmer.  RPGers
> can ignore its existence and COBOLers will be grateful.
>

I agree in part.  For a truely mixed environment, with multiple languages, yes. 
 But I would respectfully disagree
with using it in a purely RPG environment.  And that *is* what the *majority* 
of AS/400 shops are, purely RPG.  As
for adding indicators without recompiling, don't think in more than 20 years 
I've ever seen an indicator added
that didn't need the code to change to turn it off, turn it on and/or test it.

> It costs nothing to use and is good practice -- although it is not absolutely 
>necessary :).
>

I don't know about that cost issue.  It does cost bytes in the amount of data 
passed back and forth from the
display file and the program.  Is that important?  Probably not, but I would 
take issue with the 'costs nothing'.

--
===========================================================
R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr. -- IBM Certified AS/400 Administrator

-- The sum of all human knowledge is a fixed constant.
    It's the population that keeps growing!


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