Re: RE: Named Indicators... -- RPG400-L

Careful, there are STILL some COBOL programmers walking around. Even if I cant 
go as fast in my wheelchair.

>>> Colin Williams <Williamsc@technocrats.co.uk> 08/24 11:24 AM >>>
Does that mean we are all destined to go the way of the COBOL
programmer, unless we learn JAVA! 

>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: End of the Trail [mailto:endofthetrail@skyenet.net] 
>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 1999 3:29 PM
>>> To: RPG400-L@midrange.com 
>>> Subject: Re: Named Indicators...
>>> 
>>> 
>>> >When I was on my RPG course, they discouraged the use of the INKx
>>> indicators, but I can't remember why?
>>> 
>>> Because they most likely came from the S38 world and did 
>>> not understand or
>>> use them.  I was taught otherwise, when coding RPG II ( 
>>> before structure if,
>>> select, do, etc...) you used indicators everywhere.  S38ers 
>>> use 01-24 for
>>> cmd keys, S36er used 1-10 for record indicators.  When 
>>> coding RPGII and
>>> using the cycle, indicators (prior to Excmpt) controlled 
>>> your output,
>>> compares, chains, most everything.  A program with any size 
>>> used a bunch,
>>> many were reused, a good coder developed a system so as to keep them
>>> straight, 1-10 input records, 20-29 output, 30-39 comp, 
>>> 40-49 screen fields,
>>> 80-89 error messages, 90-99 work or temp(reusable) etc...  
>>> Often documented
>>> in the H spec were the Indicator Usage or method to their 
>>> madness.  The K?s
>>> were there from the S32 and were self-explainatory. (There 
>>> was a good
>>> explaination earlier about the evolution of the K? 
>>> indictors)  If you see a
>>> K?, it came from a key/screen.  They were handled (on/off) 
>>> by the system and
>>> were not often used elsewhere (comp, chain, etc...)
>>> 
>>> From: Gwecnal@aol.com : They are clear, universal, never 
>>> conflict with other
>>> indicators, and are always free to use.  The nice thing is 
>>> that virtually
>>> every RPG programmer understands these indicators 
>>> thoroughly and never needs
>>> to be brought up to speed.
>>> 
>>> I recall my transition into a S38 shop on the 400.  It took 
>>> my a long time
>>> to find out how IN03 was coming on, I checked and double 
>>> checked the source,
>>> the I specs, everywhere...  It seem to appear out of 
>>> nowhere, then I found
>>> out about redirect or assigning Indicators in the DDS.   I 
>>> may have felt or
>>> seemed foolish, but turn around is fair play.  They had to 
>>> ask me about the
>>> K?s when nativizing S36.  Prior to the AS400, the oil(s36) 
>>> and water(s38)
>>> wars roared.  After a few years, I thought, they were over. 
>>>  A united force
>>> against a NEW foe, the PC Network and those no logic, data 
>>> manipulators with
>>> their Reboot and Reload if it don't work ideas.
>>> 
>>> It seems according to Midrange computing Survey, the AS400 
>>> programer is all
>>> but dead and gone.  They show that about 50% are 40 to 50 
>>> years old and only
>>> about 10% are youngster that are up and coming.  As a 
>>> matter of Fact, my
>>> understanding only, until the push for coder, by the Y2K 
>>> scare, most schools
>>> quit teaching RPG.  I am in between, I started young on the 
>>> S34 some S32,
>>> but am still below the 40 mark.  I plan on staying in the business,
>>> therefore, I have got to come to speed with the Network world.
>>> 
>>> I am stepping of the soap box now!  (that is most likly to old of a
>>> statement also, the youngin' won't understand about a soap box).
>>> 
>>> Eurrat
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Colin Williams <Williamsc@technocrats.co.uk>
>>> To: 'RPG400-L@midrange.com' <RPG400-L@midrange.com>
>>> Date: Tuesday, August 24, 1999 5:04 AM
>>> Subject: RE: Named Indicators...
>>> 
>>> 
>>> >When I was on my RPG course, they discouraged the use of the INKx
>>> >indicators, but I can't remember why?
>>> >
>>> >>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> >>>> From: Gwecnal@aol.com [mailto:Gwecnal@aol.com] 
>>> >>>> Sent: Monday, August 23, 1999 6:15 PM
>>> >>>> To: RPG400-L@midrange.com 
>>> >>>> Subject: Re: Named Indicators...
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> In a message dated 99-08-21 18:05:46 EDT, you write:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> > How many do you really have to remember?  F1(KA), F3(KC),
>>> >>>> F4(KD), F5(KE),
>>> >>>> >  F12(KL), and F24(K?) are about all we ever use.  
>>> They are clear,
>>> >>>> >  universal, never conflict with other indicators, and are
>>> >>>> always free to
>>> >>>> >  use.  (I will admit to having to count out F24 because I
>>> >>>> never actually
>>> >>>> >  use that one myself.)  The nice thing is that 
>>> virtually every RPG
>>> >>>> >  programmer understands these indicators thoroughly and
>>> >>>> never needs to be
>>> >>>> >  brought up to speed.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Two things  1) You have to remember to skip inko when
>>> >>>> counting (and how many
>>> >>>> remember to do that) and 2) Only S36 rpg II programmers
>>> >>>> know about them.
>>> >>>> Most programers that first learned rpg on a 38 or a  400
>>> >>>> (in a shop without
>>> >>>> 36 legacy code) don't know about the ink? indicators (or
>>> >>>> the cycle either).
>>> >>>> These days that makes ink? aware rpg programmers the minority.
>>> >>>> +---
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