Re: RPG/400 Definition -- RPG400-L

Hi Lisa, 
thanks for the explanation.  I 'grew up' into ILE meaning that is what was 
being used during my first programming job.  The problem i was running into is 
the usage of the terms RPG/400 vs. RPGIII.  Thanks everyone for your posts, 
this information is helpful seeing as it was originally explained to me wrong 
when i first started working at my new position(that i can now say uses 
RPGIII).  The more and more i read, I might start looking into integrating my 
RPGIV skills into this shop.  

Lynette chronister

>>> Lisa.Abney@universalflavors.com 01/17/01 12:53PM >>>


My definition of ILE (Integrated Language Environment) is that it is just a
means for combining different languages (like RPG and Cobol) together to do one
task.  If someone told me he programmed in RPG ILE, I would assume he means he
programs in RPGIV, and knows how to use the subprocedures, binding, service
programs, activation groups, etc., provided by ILE to put everything together.

At our shop (6 developers, working primarily with BPCS packaged software), we do
all new development in RPGIV, meaning we use RPGIV language syntax.  This was
not a difficult task at all ... I learned from books, and then taught the basics
to the rest of the team.  You don't have to know anything at all about ILE
(which is the stuff that looks a lot scarier!) to take advantages of all the
neat things available in RPGIV.  I am now doing some subprocedures and am
showing others how to incorporate them in their coding.  At some point, we'll
have enough subprocedures that I'll have to tackle service programs, but we're
not there yet.  Occasionally, we convert existing source to RPGIV for the simple
reason they will no longer compile in RPGIII; we also sometimes rewrite existing
simple RPGIII programs to RPGIV (without using the converter) when we want to
use some very handy RPGIV features (like date stuff) ... this is also a good way
to give people some RPGIV experience.

Another thing to think about.  Three years ago, when I interviewed programmers
and asked the question "Have you done any work in RPGIV?", they either had never
heard of it, or replied "Oh, you mean RPG400?"  Today, if I interview someone
who makes either of those responses, I lose interest in them quickly.  Doesn't
mean they need to be an expert ... just says they keep their skills up to date.
Someday you'll be interested in moving to another company, and you need to learn
these skills for yourself!







"Lynette Chronister" <lchronis@MasonicHomesPA.org> on 01/17/2001 10:29:52 AM

Please respond to RPG400-L@midrange.com 

To:   RPG400-L@midrange.com 
cc:    (bcc: Lisa Abney/Flavor-Indianapolis/NAFL/UFC)

Subject:  Re: RPG/400 Definition (was Using VARLEN DDS keyword)



so i am mistaken when someone uses the term RPG/400 and i think that this is a
higher level than RPGIII?... Lemme get this straight.

RPGII
RPGIII
RPGIV  are the actual languages.
then what does ILE or /400 stand for?
when someone says they program RPG/ILE, what does that mean vs RPGIV?

Lynette Chronister

>>> Lisa.Abney@universalflavors.com 01/17/01 08:44AM >>>


I agree!  I buy lots of RPG books, and just take for granted that any newly
published books are going to be based on RPGIV and/or ILE.  However, I was VERY
disappointed to buy one last year (copyright date 1999) called Ready to Run
RPG/400 Techniques, by Julian Monypenny and Roger Pence, and find all the
wonderful examples done in RPGIII!  I've learned to be very cautious with books
that include RPG/400 in the title.

Bob Cozzi had an interesting explanation in the preface to his book The Modern
RPGIV Language (Second Edition):

   "There has been much confusion in the AS/400 world regarding the proper name
   of the RPG programming language.  This is primarily due to many IBM support
   personnel as well as the trade press mistakenly reporting the name of RPGIII
   as RPG/400.  There is not now, nor has there ever been, a programming
   language named "RPG/400."  The current AS/400 RPG compile package offered by
   the IBM Corporation is named IBM AS/400 ILE RPG/400 Compiler.  This package
   contains several compilers for many different RPG languages, including:
        System/36-compatible RPGII.
        System/38-compatible RPGIII.
        AS/400 RPGIII.  There is no "RPG/400" language per se (only AS/400 RPG
        III).
        AS/400 RPG IV.  This compiler targets the native integrated programming
        language environment (ILE).  There is no "ILE RPG" language, only an
        ILE-targeted RPGIV compiler."






Jim Langston <jimlangston@conexfreight.com> on 01/16/2001 04:31:29 PM

Please respond to RPG400-L@midrange.com 

To:   RPG400-L@midrange.com 
cc:    (bcc: Lisa Abney/Flavor-Indianapolis/NAFL/UFC)

Subject:  Re: Using VARLEN DDS keyword



This is what confuses me.

He said RPG/400.  I have a book, "AS/400 ILE RPG/400 Programmer's Guide".
Isn't RPG/400 just ILE RPG/400 without using any of the ILE stuff, which
is RPG IV?

Or does RPG/400 designate RPG III?  Or is it simpley that both RPG III and
RPG IV were called RPG/400 and just the first version (RPG III) is called
RPG/400, and the later versions are called ILE RPG or RPG IV?

Regards,

Jim Langston

Peter Dow wrote:
>
> Hi Jim,
>
> Yeah, looks like we both missed the crucial part which was doing it in
> RPG/400, not RPGLE. Oops<g>.
>
> Regards,
> Peter Dow
> Dow Software Services, Inc.
> 909 425-0194 voice
> 909 425-0196 fax
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Langston" <jimlangston@conexfreight.com>
> To: <RPG400-L@midrange.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 10:06 AM
> Subject: Re: Using VARLEN DDS keyword
>
> > Peter,
> >
> > Actually, yeah, that is it in a nutshell.  I never right justify anything
> > myself, so never use the EvalR command, so forgot about it.
> >
> > And, yeah, I meant move.  Again, I always used MOVEL.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Jim Langston
> >
> > Peter Dow wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi Jim,
> > >
> > > I remember when you had to do this the hard way with arrays and stuff.
> Would
> > >
> > >     C        EVALR    Char1 = %trim(Char1)
> > >
> > > do the same thing?  BTW, did you mean MOVE or is MOVER a new opcode?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Peter Dow
> > > Dow Software Services, Inc.
> > > 909 425-0194 voice
> > > 909 425-0196 fax
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Jim Langston" <jimlangston@conexfreight.com>
> > > To: <RPG400-L@midrange.com>
> > > Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 1:12 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Using VARLEN DDS keyword
> > >
> > > > Off the top of my head:
> > > >
> > > > C           Eval   CharTemp = %Trim(Char1)
> > > > C           Eval   Char1 = *Blanks
> > > > C           MOVER  CharTemp     Char1
> > > >
> > > > Char1 = 'NAMEbbbb' to start with.
> > > > CharTemp = 'NAME'
> > > > Char1 = 'bbbbbbbb'
> > > > Char1 = 'bbbbNAME'
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Jim Langston
> > > >
> > > > Lynette Chronister wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > what is the easiest way to right justify a character variable.
> > > > > example
> > > > >
> > > > > char1 = 'NAMEbbbbb' (b = blanks)
> > > > >  i want 'bbbbbNAME'
> > > > >
> > > > > i can get this done, im just thinking there HAS to be an easier way.
> > > > > TIA
> > > > > oh, p.s. im writing in 400 not ILE.
> > > > >
> > > > > Lynette Chronister
> > > > > Programmer/Analyst
> > > > > Elizabethtown, PA
> > > > >
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