Re: Binding directories and bad interface design

I recently tried to modify my membership details at iSeries Nation and had a
similar experience.

Have a good weekend guys.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Coulter" <shc@flybynight.com.au>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 12:00 PM
Subject: Binding directories and bad interface design



To All,

I've just had the misfortune to have to redo the entries in a binding
directory.  I didn't create them and they had hardcoded library names.  I
wanted to change the library name to *LIBL.

There is no CHGBNDDIRE but the ADDBNDDIRE has a *REPLACE option but that
requires you to type the full identifier of the item to replace.

WRKBNDDIR doesn't really help because it restricts option 1 to the
extended action line thus forcing you to key in all the parameters as if
you were using ADDBNDDIRE from the command line.

What IDIOT designed this?  How could System DCG or Usability let this sort
of crap out in public?  Whoever is responsible for this junk interface
should be forced to used it for a few days.

It is actually easier to write a CL script that does DSPBNDDIR to an
outfile, does RMVBNDDIRE *ALL, and then reads the outfile performing an
ADDBNDDIRE for each entry changing the parameters as required.  That's not
how usability is supposed to work.

I notice a creeping tendency to omit a CHG command and use a *REPLACE
option on many OS functions.  For example, ADDEXITPGM springs to mind, and
there are APIs that behave this way too.  Well, just stop it Rochester,
you'll go blind!

Regards,
Simon Coulter.

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