RE: RPG Cycle (was Reinventing Code)

IN MY DAY, when a programmer learned RPG, it was assumed that they could
draw the Cycle Diagram from the RPG manual from memory.  The multi-page
one.  Including the Matching Record parts.

*sigh*

What's the difference between:

C       *IN01            IFEQ   '1'
C       *IN02           ANDEQ   '1'
C       *IN03           ANDEQ   '1'
C                       ...
C                       ENDIF

and

C   01  02  03          DO
C                       ...
C                       ENDDO

Before we had DO loops, a 'pure' RPG/2 programmer would have written:

C  01 02 03             code
C  01 02 03             code
C  01 02 03             code

I'd have written it as:

C       N01
COR     N02
COR     N03             GOTO    END
C                       code
C                       code
C                       code
C               END     TAG

(That course in Boolean Algebra -did- have a valid use!  (:  )

And, no, I do NOT think my 'negative' logic is any more cumbersome to
follow than the 'positive' version.  Back when I was doing things like this
we were so strapped for machine memory (360/20/5) that making the change
from 'left hand indicators' would save enough memory to add a couple of
extra statements.

Yes, you do have to use indicators from time to time...  how 'bout when
dealing with display files??

Of course, there was the 'amateur' programmer  at my first job (who wasn't
part of IT...  er, IS... excuse me...  MIS... no... Data Processing), who
had managed to get permission to do some programming for his bowling
league.  He bragged about using all 99 indicators.  Twice.  In one program.

I never saw the code, and I'm sure I'm better off never having seen it.



Down in the basement I have several old saws, chisels, and screwdrivers.  I
still use them, in spite of the fact that some of them are many times older
than I am.  They still work.  Should I throw them out just because they're
old?


--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@ix.netcom.com




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