Re: RPG IV program - comments requested

["Scott Klement" <infosys@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Buck,

    Wouldn't your examples also imply that program-described files
are a better approach as well?  That way you can not only see what
fields are being updated, but you can also see exactly where they
are coming from.

Our shop uses naming standards that make it immediately obvious
which fields come from which files.  These standards make it
impossible for fields in one file to have the same name as fields
in another file.

Therefore, its very clear in the C-specs which fields are being
updated, you just look for anything involving a the record format
thats being updated.

With the EXCEPT approach, you now have to go down to the Output
specs to see whats affected, so for us, it would make things more
difficult to follow.

However, I can see that if you did not have standards like ours,
the opposite would be true -- but again, in that circumstance,
wouldn't program-described files be even better?  At least as far
as getting your intent across?


Buck Calabro <mcalabro@commsoft.net> wrote:
<<SNIP>>
> The use of EXCPT rather than UPDAT speaks to the "intent" of the
>  programmer.
> UPDAT is a shotgun approach to updating a record - it isn't easy to
>  tell
> exactly which fields you intended to update, since you're updating
>  them all.
> With an EXCPT, your intent is clearer.  What does this fragment inte
>  to
> do?
>
> FMASTER  UP  E                    DISK
> FTOLLS   IF  E           K        DISK
> C* If status = G, process
> C           STATUS    IFEQ 'G'
> C           TOLKEY    CHAINRTOLL                90
> C                     ADD  TOLTOT    TOLYTD
> C                     UPDATRMAS
> C                     ENDIF
>
> How about now?
>
> C* If status = G, process
> C           STATUS    IFEQ 'G'
> C           TOLKEY    CHAINRTOLL                90
> C                     ADD  TOLTOT    TOLYTD
> C                     EXCPTUPDTOL
> C                     ENDIF
> ORMAS    E                UPDTOL
> O                         TOLYTD
> O                         TOLAMT
> O                         TOLDAT
>
<<SNIP>>
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