No Subject -- RPG400-L

My comments are inlne.

Bob Slaney wrote.
> From: "Bob Slaney" <rjslaney@us.ibm.com>
> Subject: Re: RPG and SQL Compilers
>  Frank, your question is confusing. 
>  There is no SQL RPG compiler. You must
>  mean the SQL PREcompiler,
Exactly my point, why cant RPG do what the
precompiler does.  There are ILE varients of the
RPG create commands and then SQL varients on top.
I work with RPG programs,  ILE RPG programs
which may or may not have SQL inbedded.

>  Have you used the SQL Precompiler? 
Yes often
>  The object type SQLRPGLE tells PDM that
>  when you use option 14, you want the SQL 
>  preprocessor to look for embedded
>  SQL statements. 
I know PDM and something else bugs me.
Is not an RPG program an RPG program?
No, it can be an RPG an RPGLE an
SQLRPG an SQLRPGLE  Each of these translates
to different compile (Precompile) commands
and each command has its own idieosyncraticities.

>  These statements make no sense at all to RPG, 
>  so, the precompiler comments them out and 
>  converts them to parms and CALLs to
>  database I/O routines.

I understand what the precompiler does. 
What I dont understand is why it is necessary to
have an SQL precompiler at all.
Why not have the RPG compiler Understand SQL.

All the above translates into multiple sources
and when debugging one has to be aware of which
source is which.

I know I am mixing my RPG metaphores but try
sometimes debugging a mixed set of ILE /Non ILE
with an SQL program thrown in.
As an aside the ILE debugger Watch function is
pretty useless. I want the watch to show me 
the variables value, not break the run.

>  As far as the future of RPG is concerned, 
>  I don't understand your remark.
I concede your point and retract my remark 
on RPGs future. I just had a case where an ILE
program with SQL was compiled with QILE as the
access group and was being called by non-ILE
program and was getting DecDataError and it 
took me a day to work out why, I was a bit miffed.
Please accept my apologies.
>  Have you read George Farr's NEWS/400 
>  article dated November 2000? 
No
>  Have you seen Hans Boldt's RPG ballot on this forum?
Yes, I did not see a question to eliminate
the SQL Precompiler.
I have a general problem with 'clever' constructs.
eg  A ==  (B ++ 1) = C
The UNIX/C world constantly is preoccupied with
reducing the programmers keystrokes. Trying to
save keystrokes is much like shifting deck chairs
on the Titanic.  It is totally useless and a waste
of effort. So they come up weird constructs.
There must be some basic laws to Programming.
The KISS principal must be predominate.
One does not make things simple by minimising
the number of characters used. The code and/or
construct must be self evident based on things
on already knows eg maths, and introducing
operators that look similar to existing
operators but perform a different function
eg = and ==  or + and ++ or A=B=C is not KISS. 

Frank Kolmann

> 
>  Bob
>
>  Bob Slaney/Atlanta/IBM @ IBMUS (Lotus Notes)
>  VM id: WTSCPOK.RJSLANEY@VM
>  Internet id: rjslaney@us.ibm.com
>  Tieline 596-3022 Direct (770)835-3022
>  Fax tie 596-3912 Direct (770)835-3912
>
>  IBM Learning Services
>  iSeries 400 Education Development
>  IBM Corp.
>  3100 Windy Hill Road
>  Atlanta, GA 30339
>  Internal Zip WE3A

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