Re: Using % type functions/using RPG IV

[Jim Langston <jlangston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave Mahadevan wrote:

> Carl:
>
> Carl Pitcher wrote:
>
> > >My final word on this beaten-to-death topic:
> > 1. buyer beware - if it's RPGIII, don't even consider it.
>
> Not really true.  Many shops still use RPG/36 and are still in business.  I 
>love
> RPG IV but that is just me.

RPG IV/ILE has been out long enough that vendors should be using it.
If they are not using it they are way behind the times.  We are considering
a package written in RPG III, but it is being converted to RPG IV and
large sections of it are totally RPG IV.  I haven't gotten into the nuts and
bolts yet to determine if it's actually using ILE yet.  If they didn't have any
IV it wouldn't be considered.

> > 2. buyer beware - if it's RPGIV and doesn't use true date data types, don't
> > even consider it.
>
> Pardon my language.  Poppycock.  You can still use 8 digit numeric dates and
> achieve everything.  Date data types can still be used in intermediate
> calculations and you still can have zero dates and whatever in your numeric 
>date
> fields.  It is important to remember there is no one solution to any problem 
>but
> just variations.

IBM gave us a date variable to use.  Most languages and OSes have date
variables.  They become a standard.  In theory, if you are using date variables
and another package is using date variables, you can swap data pretty
easily.  But, when you aren't, you have to now convert dates to go from
one to the other.  Take our horribly home grown package.  I have dates
stored in MMDDYY format, YYMMDD format, MMDDYYCC format
and CCYYMMDD format.  Trying to write a simple query is a pain in the
neck.  If I want to date compare something in MMDDYY format I have
to do the DIGITS... SUBST routine.  If they were dates, wouldn't be a
problem.

You don't only want to consider the package itself, but things the package
must interface with.

Regards,

Jim Langston


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