RE: Entry Parameters

[Alan Campin <Alan.Campin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Not to argue here. Maybe Hans could give use the true run down but all my
understanding in 20 years of technical journals and performance tips says
that the AS/400 is a packed decimal machine, the only one in the world. I
believe that this has been extended to allow efficient other types (Like
integer) but the native format of an AS/400 is packed decimal to the point
where the math is done in a base 10 format(for absolute precision), not base
2(Binary). In other words, the AS/400 is business data processing machine,
not a scientific machine. If you have ever had to work on a machine that
uses floating point number to represent decimal values and all the problems
inherent in that, you know what I mean. We are really spoiled on the AS/400
because we never have these kind of problems. 

Everything I have read says the AS/400 takes a zoned value, converts it to
packed decimal, does the arithmetic in Base 10 and then converts the result
back to zoned. 

Just my take. Will be interested to here what Hans has to say. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Shaw, David [mailto:dshaw@spartan.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2000 1:25 PM
To: 'RPG400-L@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: Entry Parameters


-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Campin [mailto:Alan.Campin@CaseLogic.com]

Since the AS/400 is a packed decimal machine, everything should be defined
where possible as packed decimal. This is the most efficient type for the
AS/400 to handle.

------------------

Actually, it's my understanding that there's very little difference in
performance between zoned and packed arithmetic at the MI level and below.
The
OPM RPG III compiler is what historically had the preference for packed,
since
it internally converts other formats to packed before using them in
calculations.  In contrast, the RPG II compiler for the S36EE is supposed to
prefer zoned because that's what it uses internally.

Dave Shaw
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