Re: Why define files internally (was: What bugs you about KL

["Joep Beckeringh" <joepb@xxxxxx>]

Scott,

The advantages of external definitions you name, are mainly advantages of
externally described files.  Like I explained before in another message, we
DO define our files externally.  It is just that we don't use the compiler
feature that generates the IO-specs from a *FILE object.  Instead, we use
our own dictionary tool, that generates copy members with RPG-specifications
and will adapt IO-specs in RPG programs when needed.

>1) You can use tools like ODBC, SQL, etc.


We do.

>2) You don't have to search through every single program to find
>      out what data is in what position of a file.


We don't

>3) Once you become familiar with the fields in a file, you'll
>      recognize them in every program, because the name is
>      always the same.


Yes.

>4) Our company uses a 2-character prefix on each field, and that
>      prefix is unique to each file.   This means that anywhere
>      I see a field in any program, I instantly know what file
>      its from, and what field it is.


Hm.  So if you have a link between, say customer file (or should I say
'table'?) and order file on customer number you have to use different names
for customer number?  In RPG III that doesn't leave much room for meaningful
field names.

>5) Tools like UPDDTA can edit any external file automatically.
>      without having to provide awkward source for a DFU.


I'm afraid we do that as well (although I prefer using SQL).  UPDDTA is like
a chainsaw: very powerful, if you know what you're doing:-)

>6) You can use field references to force different things like
>      product codes, customer numbers, etc, to always be consistent
>      in size and type.


In general we use the same field definition in different files, so they are
conistent anyway.

>7) You don't have to waste valuable programming time coding and
>      debugging input/output specs in every program


Like I explained, we don't code the specs; we generate them.

>8) You don't have to worry about some goofy programmer who specifies
>      the output specs improperly, causing incorrect data to be
>      written to a file, and go unnoticed...


Now that's easy: we don't hire goofy programmers:-)

Joep Beckeringh
Pantheon Automatisering B.V.


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