RE: Is this the Free-Format that we asked for?

The semicolon is needed and so is the GOTO.

Richard Jackson
Richard Jackson and Associates Ltd.
IBM Business Partner
mailto:richardjackson@richardjackson.net
http://www.richardjacksonltd.com
Telephone: 1 (303) 808-8058


-|-----Original Message-----
-|From: owner-rpg400-l@midrange.com [mailto:owner-rpg400-l@midrange.com]On
-|Behalf Of John Taylor
-|Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 5:01 PM
-|To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
-|Subject: Is this the Free-Format that we asked for?
-|
-|
-|Folks,
-|
-|News/400 is hosting a feedback forum related to the new
-|enhancements within
-|the upcoming release of RPG 5. The forum is sponsored by IBM, and includes
-|the participation of both Barbara, and Hans.
-|
-|As most of you are aware, the biggest enhancement to the new
-|release is the
-|free-format "CF-spec" that has been discussed at length on this list. Here
-|is an example, straight from an article written by George Farr, of how we
-|would code the new free-format statements:
-|
-|
-|/free
-|
-|    Read(n) MASTER;
-|    If (not %EOF);
-|      /copy something
-|         For i = 0 to num;
-|              x = y(i);
-|         EndFor;
-|    EndIf;
-|
-| /endfree;
-|
-|I'd like you to take notice of the semi-colon at the end of each
-|statement.
-|According to the new rules, each program statement MUST terminate with a
-|semi-colon - ala C/Java.
-|
-|The only reason that Java required this at all is because it was
-|designed to
-|closely resemble C syntax, in order to facilitate adoption of the language
-|by existing C programmers. Why C had it in the first place is
-|beyond me. But
-|now we're being shackled with the same superfluous baggage.
-|
-|There is no shortage of free-format languages that have managed to do the
-|job without requiring the programmer to type an explicit end of statement
-|character. Why does RPG need one? Think about this folks. EVERY
-|SINGLE LINE
-|of code needs the new terminator. How many extra keystrokes will
-|that amount
-|to in a given day of coding? And what is it gaining you? NOTHING!
-|
-|One other point that should be brought to your attention is the
-|elimination
-|of the GOTO statement from the free-format specifications. How many of you
-|have code that looks like this:
-|
-|P   DataOk       B
-|                             PI               N
-|
-| *  Clear error conditions
-|C                         Clear              GlobalErrStruct
-|
-| *  Perform an edit
-|C                         If        Not SomeCondition
-|C                         Eval        MsgID = 'ERR1000'
-|C                         Eval        MsgData = 'MyDiagData'
-|C                         Eval        CursorOnField1= *On
-|C                         Goto       Proc_Error
-|C                         Endif
-|
-|*  Perform a bunch of other edits
-|
-|   * Clean up & Exit
-|C                          Return       *On
-|
-|   * Errors found
-|C  Proc_Error       Tag
-|C                           Eval      GenErrorID = *On
-|C                           CallP     SndDiagMsg( MsgID: MsgData:
-|'*CALLER')
-|C                           Return     *Off
-|
-|P  DataOk            E
-|
-|
-|Granted, it's not the only way to accomplish the goal, but (IMO)
-|it is clean
-|and simple. You may choose to do it using nested IF's, or one big
-|SELECT, or
-|a handful of other ways. But the point is that you have a choice. Now, IBM
-|has decided to take away one of our choices in the matter.
-|
-|If any of you have an opinion with respect to either of these
-|limitations, I
-|urge you to speak up now. Once released, the chances of us getting this
-|changed will be slim for the GOTO, and absolutely NONE for the statement
-|terminator.
-|
-|Ideally, you can participate in the feedback forum at www.as400network.com
-|to share your opinions. If you can't do that, then please share
-|them on this
-|list; since we know that Hans & Barbara monitor it.
-|
-|
-|Regards,
-|
-|John Taylor
-|Canada
-|
-|+---
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