Re: Standards and Egos (was RE: ILE Propoganda)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stone, Brad V (TC)" <bvstone@taylorcorp.com>
To: <RPG400-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 9:35 AM
Subject: Standards and Egos (was RE: ILE Propoganda)


>
> Standards are always changing.  Let's assume a shop doesn't use ILE.  If
> someone starts using it, writing functions, etc, for a "proof of concept"
is
> that bad, or good?  (none of this "if they go off on their own it is!"
crap
> either, let's assume the proper channels are taken.)
>
------------------

Oh how true.  I once did some work for a S/38 shop that had "converted"
Cobol programmers.  Their standards were basically to use RPG but write it
like Cobol (ie open/close all files manually, code level breaks - don't use
I-spec level indicators, ....).  They were rewriting some programs to get
the work done in less time.  On one of the programs that I was asked to
write (new program), the manager asked me how I was going to write it.
After giving an overview, he said that he felt that if I had my preferences,
I would do something differently.  I said that there was, and he asked what
that would be.  I suggested using matching records (this was a simple file
merge program).  He said that because this was a one-time program and that
they were looking at ways to make their programs more efficent, that I
should write it with matching records.  I did and he copied the program and
modified it to perform the match in-line.  He came in early one morning and
ran both versions of the programs (in test environment) several times.  My
program ran in 1/3 the time of his.  When I came in that day, he called me
in and asked me to explain matching record logic and some other RPG
"features" that they had avoided.  He remarked that if they could get that
kind of performance increase, that they needed to look at using some of them
(ie change their standards).

I know for many RPG matching records is hard to understand, but I this
situation it was the best "tool" to use, and I'm not wanting to start a
discussion on the pros and cons.  My point is that a shop looked at its
standards and was open to changing them once a "proof of concept" showed
that there may be a good reason to change them.


_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

+---
| This is the RPG/400 Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to RPG400-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to RPG400-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to RPG400-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---