RE: Strange behavior w/%editc()

["Nicolay, Paul" <paul_nicolay@xxxxxxxxx>]

Joe,

MOVEL doesn't work on VARYING fields, hence I wouldn't even think about
using MOVE on them (while it might indeed still work).  In my (and IBMs)
opinion, MOVE(L) instructions shouldn't be used in ILE-RPG anymore, hence I
banned them already longtime ago.

If the discussion is/was about legacy code using MOVE operations... then
there isn't much to say, except that I would recommend to convert it to
EVALs (whether or not they're a valid replacement - the same can be said
about native IO and SQL as well, hence people migrated anyway).

I guess we have been saved from huge code rewrites since RPGIII existed,
while on other platforms huge code rewrites seems to be a yearly task (just
think about the differences between each VB version).  Somehow, managers
seem to find this acceptable (even starting from scratch) when one of the
magic M$ words is mentioned in the sentence.  When we discuss this about
iSeries software, it shouldn't cost a cent !?

What's wrong with implicit type conversions ?... they decrease readability
since they do things that isn't visible straight away (at least in a
"complex" %SUBST instruction you see that something is done).  The C style
casting is in that way much clearer.

Discussions about languages is something I normally also try to avoid,
however we iSeries people seem to be the only ones that realize that RPG has
its strengths, and should be used as a business language and not some other
hyped language.

Kind regards,
Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Pluta [mailto:joepluta@PlutaBrothers.com]
Sent: 06 March, 2002 15:08
To: rpg400-l@midrange.com
Subject: RE: Strange behavior w/%editc()


> From: Nicolay, Paul
>
> I guess both the MOVE (which won't even work if you're using VARYING
> strings) and %SUBST solution should be avoided as they're neither clear.

Maybe I misread the posts on MOVE and varying strings.  From what I
understood, the MOVE works exactly the same, moving data into the last
positions of the varying string.  Have you found otherwise?


> The best solution as far as I'm concerned is the use of datastructures to
> split the field, and fill it with the EVAL statement.  It doesn't
> depend on
> implicit type conversions like you get when using MOVE.

What's wrong with implicit type conversions?


> In addition, the MOVE and %SUBST shouldn't be compared neither since the
> MOVE always targets the last six characters, where the %SUBST
> uses a dynamic
> solution (also using fixed start and length positions could make it a lot
> easier to read, and maybe even preferred above the DS solution).

My original point way back when was that the MOVE instruction didn't have a
reasonable replacement in the new /free syntax.  Others have tried to insist
that the %subst replacement is equivalent.  I've simply opined that it is
not, and shown what I base my opinion on.  If you are using data structures,
then great, your code can quickly be converted to EVAL statements and there
are no issues with /free.  But if your code uses MOVE instructions, there's
no good substitution.  I guess I can agree, at a 30,000 foot level, that
data structures are better, but that argument doesn't do me a lot of good if
my legacy code uses MOVE instructions.


> Anyway... speed shouldn't be the main factor (it is a key factor
> however) in
> software design.  Otherwise we would better return to coding in
> assembler/MI... and never start with VB or Java !

There's a balance between performance, delivery and maintenance.  Different
languages have different strengths.  Java is an OOP language, and as such is
highly suited for developing sophisticated middleware where components
inherit behavior from one another.  RPG is best suited for coding business
algorithms, and should be focused on making tht as easy as possbile.  VB has
its place, I suppose, but not for anything I do.  But THAT dicussion is very
much one of opinion.

Joe

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