Re: IBM pushing Java (ile conversion tools)

[nina jones <ddi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Here is how we handled the "Skill set" issue.   When ever we touched
> a RPGIII program for a fix or enhancement(even just one line of code)
> We first ran it through the CVTRPGSRC into RPGIV (BTW I doubt Management
> would ever know)  Then fix or enhance the program.
> That way It's the same program, just RPGIV.  All programmers ONLY see
> RPGIV.  None of the "Am I in RPGIII or RPGIV" ,  "Does this work here?"
>
> Your staff ONLY sees RPGIV code.   Don't convert them all in one swoop
> to RPGIV.  But if a change is to be made,  First CVTRPGSRC, Make change,
> then Compile.
>
> NOBODY will even notice.  We did this one program at a time, etc.
> Now EVERYthing we touch is RPGIV,
>
> Programers only have to know ONE syntax.
>
> Its not that hard.    "Gotta Wannta"

that's the way we've been doing it.  there are a couple of tools that do the
conversion that do a more complete job that ibm's.  a company called connection
2000 has one, that costs about $300, and bradley stone has one that's shareware.

but there are a couple of gotcha's.

on the connection 2000, you may not want the math commands converted to eval's.
there are some errors you may get, if you have fields that will truncate, or
numeric and alphanumeric moves mixed.  also, if you use indicators a lot, you 
may
want to clean them up first, or not convert the indicators to if commands.  this
can make the code very hard to follow.

on bradley stones, if you use alpha characters in your input for screen id's,
(from old internally defined screens)  it will make them lower case, and you 
will
need to go in and change them.

nj


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