Trevor,
I usually don't respond to this kind of rhetoric, but it is quite obvious you do not have a clue what reality is all about.
The idea that a COBOL programmer should be able to maintain RPG is not valid.
That's like saying a Java programmer can maintain PL/1.
The beauty of some of the old techniques is THAT THEY WORK.
Writing code in 3 lines versus 80 is definitely a plus. This also reduces program size, memory requirements, etc. You should use whatever technique gives the best result "for that application". Sometimes its cycle, usually it is not.
Since you plainly don't know how or why to use the cycle stay quiet.
Sharon Wintermute
PS. Under 50 and have used the cycle.
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Trevor Perry
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 1:53 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: RPG Cycle (was: RPG IV Certification)
Yes. Those are DP managers from the 70s.
For anyone who knows, RPGIV and ILE are the current invocations of the
language. You can find education for them all over. Cycle education is much
thinner. And, when you get there, you have less maintenance, and are more
modern. Show me an RPG cycle program that is truly modular? How about
documentation of what is happening in the RPG cycle? A COBOL programmer
could not read a cycle program for trying (wtf is *INZSR anyway) but they
can read RPGIV free format.
And, fwiw, moving FORWARD is always a good thing in our industry. Staying
with your 25 year old code is not going to help if IBM gets a clue and
starts making us pay to compile old code...
On 8/20/07 2:33 PM, "rick baird" <rick.baird@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I hear the exact same excuse/reasoning used by shop managers for not using
ILE techniques. "no one else will understand it".
why is knowing and using the cycle so different and/or more difficult than
knowing/using any other technique?
it's a tool, is not hard to learn and is part of the language. the only
excuse for not knowing it is laziness.
On 8/20/07, Trevor Perry <trevor@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It is never appropriate - for one simple reason. If you have people who do
not understand the cycle in your environment, and you get hit by a bus....
I noticed there are still people writing blogs about the cycle and people
teaching RPG with the cycle. If you work for them, you may be forced to
use
the cycle, but outside of maintenance, the RPG cycle should never be
used..
Job security coding techniques are as out of date as the AS/400!
On 8/20/07 1:39 PM, "David Gibbs" <david@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Paul Nelson wrote:
Show of hands: How many people under the age of 50 can explain the
cycle?
Oh me ... me ... call on me! <jumping up and down>
Follow on question ... how many people can explain when it's appropriate
to use the cycle and when it's not appropriate?
david
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