RE: [RPGIV] Survey question - reality check -- RPG400-L

Reeve,

Today, virtually ALL OS/400 shops are being told to use the new features
of the compiler. Yet they are "stuck" on V4R5 and earlier releases.
Therefore, virtually all software vendors need to code for the lowest
common denominator. They avoid using the new features, therefore
perpetuating the problem of end-users not moving to new releases. I've
been in software house that have 3 or 4 AS/400 systems sitting there for
backward compatibility.  And as we all know, the way the software houses
go, so goes end-user development.

Bob Cozzi
cozzi@rpgiv.com
Visit the on-line  Midrange  Developer  forum at: http://www.rpgiv.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Reeve Fritchman [mailto:reeve@ltl400.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 10:49 AM
> To: RPGIV@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [RPGIV] Survey question - reality check
>
> Bob, this is a provocative question.  But I have my own: what's in
this for
> IBM?
>
> Selling new features is a continuing source of revenue for software
vendors.
> Who knows how many OS/400 upgrades have been triggered by the DP
manager's
> desire to get his/her hands on some new utility or free-form RPG?
>
> I'm not an internals guy, so I don't know what percentage of RPG
functions
> are tied to OS and/or TIMI functions; I'd suspect not much.  This may
be a
> practical consideration.
>
> Would I like this requirement?  Absolutely.  Would this policy promote
> iSeries and RPG development?  Yes.  Do I think it would slow RPG
> development?  Yes.  Do I think it's likely to happen?  No.
>
> The RPG/languages gang in Toronto isn't part of the Mid-Market Server
Group;
> this is mainly a dollars-and-cents question.
>
> Regards,
> Reeve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Cozzi (RPGIV) [mailto:cozzi@rpgiv.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 10:29 AM
> To: rpgiv@yahoogroups.com; rpg400-l@midrange.com
> Subject: [RPGIV] question on survey question
>
> In next week's Midrange Developer, my 10-second survey is going to be
> something like this:
>
> Should IBM be required to base all future versions of the compilers on
> V5R1, thus allowing future code to be compiled as TGTRLS(*V5R1M0)?
>
>
> My question to you all is this:
> Is this a viable question, and is it clear enough?
>
> My thinking is that this will change the way IBM does things, so that
if
> they add a built-in function in V5R2, you and I who are still on V5R1
> can use that built-in function for our V5R1 applications.
>
> Today, if you want to compile to *PRV you have to have actually
> installed the V4R5 compiler on your V5R1 machine. I'd like to see IBM
> move away from that model, and instead, create enhancements to the
> existing compiler but require that enhanced compiler to run on the
base
> Version release. Meaning for the entire life of V5 the V5R1 compiler
> would both compile and be able to target V5R1. Even if there were a
V5R7
> the identical "binaries" would be installed on V5R7 and V5R1 and
> everything in between.
>
> So basically this means that the compile would allow you to produce
code
> that runs on V5R7 or V5R1 and the only time a source member would not
> compile is if there were an operating system-dependant feature used in
> your code. Such as a new data type that may be in the database and in
> RPG but not back-release compatible. Otherwise, if they add a new
opcode
> or a new built-in function it would work on V5R1 and later.
>
> Comments
>
>
> Bob
>
>
>
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