RE: [Re: RPGILE V4.3 Gotcha] -- RPG400-L

Colin,
        I agree 100% with your comments. When I first started programming
RPG (not very long ago), I had a book open and one of the "old hats" walked
by and commented, "Oh, learning RPG?" The truth is even three years later, I
still don't hesitate to grab a book or a manual. I recently had some free
time. I read two books. One on CL and another on RPGIV. Laugh, if you must.
Yes, I already "knew" CL. However, it was the only way that I know to
determine whether I really knew it or not. I did learn a couple of tricks. I
had about the same experience with RPGIV. Having learned RPG using RPG400, I
knew that I did not "know" RPGIV. I learned a great deal, expecially in the
area of data structures. 

>From my experience, you can't train someone to be a programmer. They must
learn to be one. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Colin Williams [mailto:Williamsc@technocrats.co.uk]
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 1999 4:32 AM
To: 'RPG400-L@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: [Re: RPGILE V4.3 Gotcha]


I think it comes down to the fact that some programmers(to me someone
who does not RTFM is not a true programmer)
feel that the only place they can learn anything new is in a classroom
with a trainer, and that one they have done this
TFM should not be touched.

One of the guys here was looking at the manual only the other day, and
someone else said 
"ooh, the manuals out, must be serious". Wrong attitude I think. 

I usually have softcopy bookmanager open looking at some manual or other
at least 1 per day  

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Alan Campin [mailto:Alan.Campin@CaseLogic.com]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 8:29 PM
>To: 'RPG400-L@midrange.com'
>Subject: RE: [Re: RPGILE V4.3 Gotcha]
>
>
>Hans wrote:
>
>>> I hope this doesn't sound rude, but how can any programmer use any
>>> programming language without being intimately familiar with the
>>> corresponding documentation?
>
>Unfortunately, that is my exact experience. The first thing I 
>do when I have
>a problem or start working on something I haven't dealt with 
>is pull the
>documentation and see what is says but over and over again 
>through the years
>I have dealt with programmers who absolutely will not read the manuals.
>Drives me crazy. 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: boldt@ca.ibm.com [mailto:boldt@ca.ibm.com]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 6:42 AM
>To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
>Subject: Re: [Re: RPGILE V4.3 Gotcha]
>
>
>
>
>Jim wrote:
>>No, I have not read the area on math, because the only math I am
>>doing on this machine is 2 significant decimal digits in length,
>>at the most 3.  We are dealing with dollars and cents here.  The
>>point is, I shouldn't HAVE to read the manual.
>
>Oh dear oh dear oh dear!
>
>I hope this doesn't sound rude, but how can any programmer use any
>programming language without being intimately familiar with the
>corresponding documentation?
>
>Sure, we could have come up with better rules for decimal precision.
>But please don't criticize the existing rules while admitting you
>don't even understand them.
>
>Cheers!  Hans
>
>Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com
>
>
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