Re: CLASSPATH Api's?

["Simon Coulter" <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Bob,

You wrote:
>And why aren't we using the 'QtmhGetEnv' API to Get the environment?
>I realize it takes a bit of research to get it working, but I'm just
>wondering.

Geert was attempting to use getenv() so I showed him how.  There is no
reason why the QtmhGetEnv API could not be used if you prefer it.  Neither
method is harder than the other.  However,

C               CALLP           QtmhGetEnv( classPath :
C                                           %size(classPath) :
C                                           returnLength :
C                                           'CLASSPATH' :
C                                           9 :
C                                           Qus_Ec )

is a lot uglier than

C               EVAL            @envVar = getenv('CLASSPATH')
C               EVAL            classPath = %STR(@envVar)

To make it nicer would involve encapsulating the QtmhGetEnv API in a
procedure which means increasing the work required -- especially if you do
it properly and use operational descriptors to determine the string
lengths.  getenv() already exists and does the job quite well with much
less work -- although it does require the use of a pointer (which as we
discovered earlier makes it far too complex for the average RPG coder to
comprehend :-).

QtmhGetEnv would be an ideal solution for RPG III and other languages
without pointer and null-terminated string support or for people with an
aversion to pointers -- didn't your Mother teach you that it was rude to
point?

Regards,
Simon Coulter.

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