RE: service program signatures

> I'm confused about service program signatures. It seems as though IBM is
> telling me that if I add an export to my service program, the signature
> of the service program will change, and I'll have to recompile all the
> programs that use the service program, which seems pretty unreasonable.
> 
> I'd rather have things so that it isn't necessary to recompile a program
> that uses the service program unless there is an API change, not just
> because I add a new export or something.

Look up 'binder language', it addresses exactly this problem.

If you create a binder language file, and reference it while compiling, your
fresh compiles will get the newest signature, but your previously compiled
programs can continue running with their older signatures. Assuming that you
just added new exports, not changed parameter lists, or re-ordered them, or
dropped procedures completely.