Re: RPGLE & RPG/400

Pavan Krishnamurthy wrote"
>What are the new features of RPGLE and What are the basic advantages &
>disadvantages of RPGLE over the other versions of RPG ?

There are many advantages.  I can list only a few here:

1) improved syntax:
   - definitions consolidated into one spec type
   - increased field size
   - lower case source
   - data structures can be coded without having to
     specify absolute start and end positions
   - ability to specify prefix on externally-described
     field names

2) free-form syntax:
   - keywords in H, F, and D specs.
   - expressions in C specs.

3) relaxed rules:
   - files don't need to have all operations as
     specified on the F spec

4) built-in functions - lots of good stuff here

5) new data types: integer, unsigned, float, varying
   length character, varying length graphic, pointer,
   procedure pointer, date, time, timestamp, and
   indicator.

6) compile command options can be specified on the
   H-Spec.

7) procedures:
   - strict type checking of parameter types
   - constant reference and value parameters
   - return value from a procedure

I could go on forever!

Disadvantages?  Well, it's not an object-oriented
language, but then, neither is OPM RPG.  I can't
think of any area where ILE RPG is worse than OPM
RPG,  OK, I can think of two possible complaints:
1) Programmers have a lot of new stuff to learn;
and 2) We haven't improved the language enough!

Cheers!  Hans

Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com
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