RE: Scope of variables and subprocedures.

["Stone, Brad V (TC)" <bvstone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Here are the things I think RPG IV needs to become a fully
> "grown-up" language:
> - scoped names within data structures so you can have subfield A in
>   two different data structures

I agree 100000000000000%.  If one thing, I would love this.  I got spoiled
with Data Structures in other languages.

> - variable-type in prototyped parameters

Oh yes!  I like this one as well!  

> - full null-value support

Yes again!

> - access to the IFS file system

Already done.  UNIX APIs will let you do this.  Don't know how usefull it
is.  I have only found two uses for it.  One is reading static HTML docs for
CGI programs (faster than members, and easier to edit than members) and
writing markup language (for layout of bus. cards, calenders, etc) data to a
machine in a format that Macs can read.  (ie not the AS/400 file system, but
a "PC" type file system.)

In V4R3 you can access the IPCS card using the /QNTC file system this same
way.  Rumors have it that V4R5 will allow you to read files on any NT server
on the network.  (This would rock).

But again, what use is a chunk of data in an RPG program.  We're so used to
DDS that we wouldn't know what to do with it if it wasn't flat data.  Plus,
record lengths seem to not have much bearing.  Shoot... how did we read a
line again in ModulaII?  Read until EOL, that's a record.  Then read until
EOF?  Man, I must be spoiled with external DDS and fixed record lengths.

Bradley V. Stone
BVS/Tools - www.bvstools.com
Netshare400 - www.netshare400.com
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