Re: New Opcodes - %SETCELL

[John Hall <jhall@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

boldt@ca.ibm.com wrote:
<big snip>
> I don't want to sound like a doomsayer.  As I said, I believe RPG
> will survive.  But in my opinion, if we want the community to grow
> and thrive, we need to learn some lessons from our neighbors.
> 

I agree.  Look at any C program and you will see that it includes
library functions.  What percentage of RPG programs "include" library
functions.  Only the well organized shop's are using service programs
right now.  The design and history of the language are such that it
discourages the use of service programs.  Forget about adding %bifs to
add features to the language.  Work on making the use of service
programs universal.  Most RPG programs can be written without calling
any procedures outside of the program.  In contrast you really can't do
anything in C without calling outside procedures.  For example the
ADDDUR opcode in RPG - in C that would be in a date processing library
and you would #include <datedur.h> and put the datedur.o object on your
link command in the make file.  

SetCell - #include "setcell.h"

oh yeah excel, lotus etc. -

#include "excel.h"
#include "lotus.h"

IBM has added more and more control to the build process with each
version (H Specs etc.) but without a standard "make file" type of build
procedure it is difficult for companies to utilize service programs.
Or to be more precise it is easier not to use them (in the short run)
than to use them.  In C you are already using them... 

Now if AddDur had come out with a service program nearly every shop in
the world would be using them !

In visual basic/delphi you can buy a component or group of components,
install them, and then 5 minutes later use them in any program you write
from that point forward.  They become part of your library of
functions.  Binding is automatic. That's it! 

When the process becomes this easy for RPG then you will see the
shareware market takeoff.  

BTW please don't start a language war on this one... C was only used for
an example. I love RPG :)

John Hall
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