Re: You know, I'm pretty sure it's zoned...

["R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr." <rbruceh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <bmorris@ca.ibm.com>
To: <rpg400-l@midrange.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: You know, I'm pretty sure it's zoned...


> Please elucidate.  As far as I know, the reason the compiler continues
> to use the same old rules for numeric formats is exactly the way
> Doug explained it.  Whatever the reasons for the RPG compiler behaving
> the way it did in the past, upward compatibility keeps it behaving the
> same way now.  That's upward compatibility of source AND non-recompiled
> objects.

Let me elucidate some more...
I understand the varying formats. Fine, I have 17 files with some in packed,
some in zoned, some in integer, blah, blah, blah.
So what? You map everything into packed. Whatever. Just so long as we don't
loose significance/precision. Wonderful.

However, in this age of "smart" compilers, long after peep-hole optimization
and isolating invariants outside of loops, isn't it possible to enable this
so-called "modern" RPG to implement the following in te compilation:

- If the field is visible to the program and the field is of a singular
type, honor that type. (period).
- If the field is visible to the program and the field is of multiple types,
convert to a singular type for internals.
- If the field is of that singular internal type and a call through a
prototype indicates another type, but compatible, convert prior to the
invocation (since it was converted in the first place). If not compatible
(say double byte character to short integer) throw error.
- Throw warnings on any conversion to/from internal format. Low severity.
Non-show-stoppers. But fair warning.

TONGUE PLANT(*CHEEK)
Geez, if I can speak it, why is it not so in such an obviously advanced
compiler??????

===========================================================
R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr.
 -- IBM Certified Specialist - iSeries Administrator
 -- IBM Certified Specialist - RPG IV Developer

"Suppose you were an idiot...
  And suppose you were a member of Congress...
  But I repeat myself."
    - Mark Twain