Re: Passing Parameters Back to a S/36 Proc

[Scott Klement <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jerry,

Program parameters are input-only in many (if not most) environments. 
That includes Windows, Unix, PHP, Java, OCL, etc, etc...  pretty much 
everywhere.  (Except, of course for RPG, CL, Cobol and ILE C -- but you 
know that already.)

So parameters are one-way in OCL.  You can use the LDA as an 
alternative.  You don't have to wait for the program to end to use the 
LDA this way, you just have to stop using the archaic 'UDS' data 
structures, and use RPG III or RPG IV data area capabilities instead of 
the RPG II UDS data structs.  In RPG III/IV data area capabilities, the 
OUT opcode will update the LDA at the moment you run the opcode.

IMHO, using the LDA is really archaic, limited, and difficult to 
maintain.... but, golly -- you're using OCL for crying out loud.  You've 
already lost that battle.

Jerry Adams wrote:
> I have often passed parameters to a program from a /36 procedure, such as:
>             CALL PGM(PGMA) PARM('PARM1' 'PARM2'), or
>             CALL PGM(PGMA) PARM(?1? ?2?)
> where the parameter conditions something in the callee (PGMA).
>
> Now I would like to be able to receive information from the callee to condition something in the /36 procedure.
>
> I tried the second example, but the call resulted in a pointer error.
>
> Using the local data area works as an interface between the 36E and an RPG IV program, but not if the program (PGMA, for example) is called by another RPG IV program as the LDA is not updated until the caller ends.
>
> Why the gyrations?  Well, I wrote a program a couple of years ago simply for the 36E.  It updated the LDA and the OCL can interpret the results.  Now, though, I have found a need to call this same program from within an RPG IV program.
>
> My best guess right now is to update both the LDA *and* pass a parameter.  The former (LDA) for use by the 36E; the latter for use by a program.
>
> Jerry C. Adams
> IBM System i Programmer/Analyst
> --
> B&W Wholesale
> office: 615-995-7024
> email:  jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx