RE: RPGLEHSPEC (was Listing source member names)

[bmorris@xxxxxxxxxx]

>Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 12:23:47 -0500
>From: Rob Berendt <rob@dekko.com>
>
>You have a good point.  Put it into the RPGLEHSPEC.  Or
>in our case, your custom HSPEC that you /copy in.  Start
>using modular code now and avoid this in the future.  Let's
>say your company changes names.  The /COPY is easier than
>a scan/replace.

Using the RPGLEHSPEC data area isn't an ideal way to have
common keywords brought into a program, since it's only
read in if there's no existing H spec.  If you want to code
a special keyword just for one program you have to add all
the other keywords, but now you have to remember to update
this one program whenever you update the data area.

Using a /COPY is a much easier way to have a common hspec:
 - a /COPY can have /IF etc. in case you want to allow
   some programs to define their own value for a keyword
 - it can leave out some keywords that may be program-specific
   (e.g. FTRANS, NOMAIN) and have the individual programs add
   them if necessary
 - to get the compiler to use the data area, you have to
   "not code" the H spec.  It's too easy for this to get
   broken by a programmer coding an H spec by accident.

Barbara Morris


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