RE: Why we don't use procedures more (was MOVE opcode in freeform / strange behavior w/%editc)

Virtually everything I've seen on ILE vastly overcomplicates the stuff a
"newby" needs to know.  There are always exceptions and weird situations
where some of the more arcane stuff is needed, but not by the programmer
just trying to get a handle on it. Take baby steps.

Just use CrtRpgMod to create your modules and CrtPgm to create your
programs, taking all the defaults, and don't even worry about service
programs until you are first comfortable with creating local procedures
right inside your base program modules.  Then, experiment with multiple
modules in one program.  Then, and only then, think about service programs.
Don't worry about what might happen, until it does.  Then, ask the
questions.

It goes without saying, all this experimentation should not be on
mission-critical projects.  Oh, and by the way, pay very close attention to
anything Barbara says on this list.  It's gospel.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard B Baird [SMTP:rbaird@esourceconsulting.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 5:10 PM
> To:   rpg400-l@midrange.com
> Subject:      RE: Why we don't use procedures more (was MOVE opcode in
> freeform / strange behavior w/%editc)
>
>
> Buck and Bob,
>
> I agree that the onus is on me to train myself.  I have never blamed the
> boss for not learning new things - I always just did it myself.  I too
> never went to college.  I took a cobol class at a community college and a
> 6
> month trade school gig (about two months of which was actual coding - the
> rest was accounting and weak 'related studies'.  I've been to company paid
> training 4 times in 19 years.  Everything else, I've learned on my own
> (through here, and other on-line venues or just getting my hands dirty and
> doing it).  I visit the midrange archives 3 or 4 times a week, the ibm
> manuals website (NOT infocenter - it sux) twice or three times that.  I'm
> not lazy (as long as you don't ask my wife).
>
> I've had 3 IT jobs in 19 years, two of them in non-hourly 'project'
> consulting and my current one in hourly contracting.  I've been the boss,
> I've been the employer, and I've been the peon (now, i'm the peon :)  but
> I'd never made less money one year than the last until last year.
>
> All my new development is in RPGIV, I've personally written three
> 'real-world' RPG-CGI web apps and designed and project-managed another
> (all
> are still being use and continue to provide value to the customers). That
> puts me in the company of about 5% of the of the AS/400 programmer/analyst
> world.
>
> I'm as good or better P/A as I've ever worked with, and that's no brag,
> it's because I work harder, longer AND I have the desire and ability to
> grasp new things and keep up with the times.
>
> But I've just had a real block on the ile stuff.  I bought a book on it a
> couple years ago - but I just couldn't get through it.  There are now 100
> ways to set up one of these beasts (service pgm, bound, by reference, by
> copy, prototyping, procedures, sub-procedures, bifs, activation groups).
> I've got nothing to base any decision on. I've nothing to compare it to.
>
> Just take a look at the few posts to my questions about activation groups
> today... a couple were from people who tried to help me understand, and
> the
> rest were people correcting what someone else had said that was wrong.
>
> What does that say to me?  Few people truely know what they're doing and
> why, and of those that do know, few can articulate it well enough to
> explain it to someone who doesn't.
>
> anyway, I've had my rant,  I really do appreciate the help I get here.
> I'd
> go nuts if I didn't have it.
>
> ttfn,
>
> rick
>
> ----original message----
> Bob said:
>
> >This is stuff you should be doing on your own,
> >even with your own money.
> >
> >It is the right thing to do.
>
> AMEN!
>
> Most certainly I never had a job where the boss said "Hey, don't worry
> about
> the deadlines, take a week or so and go tinker."  It took me 23 years to
> make it to Common!
>
> I am... let's politely say 'well seasoned,' starting on card equipment.  I
> have no university education.  I learnt literally  e v e r y  thing I know
> by myself, and virtually all on my own time.  I have a library of books
> bought with my own after tax dollars - and not all AS/400 books either.
> K&R, Knuth, etc. as well as our friends in the midrange world.  I have an
> account on one of the timeshare machines to play on.  I use Code/400 and
> before that Picante's Flex and before that Brief.  All paid for by me.
>
> If I don't keep my skills current, what choices will I have for work next
> year?  In 1978, I could run a 1403 blindfolded (I was GOOD!)  If I merely
> maintained my awesome 1403 talent I'd be out of work, as the 1403's are
> almost all gone.
>
> I have a family, house, etc., etc., etc.  I value my ability to feed my
> family, so I make time to keep up.  If I can do it, anybody can.  If
> there's
> one wish I have, it's that I could really, truly convince midrange
> programmers that THEY CAN DO IT!
>
> GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!
>   --buck
>
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