Re: /FREE RPG compiler errors -- RPG400-L

Hi Bob,

Comments in line...


> Why the apparent vilifying of RPG developers?


I'm not defaming RPG developers. If you check, I think you'll see that I
have a long history not only with RPG, but also with defending the RPG
development community in the face of criticism.

My comments are directed at notions that are out of step with reality. 


> In most shops the programs don't get the choose whether or not they use
> RPGIII, RPGIV or the /FREE stuff.


And, I sympathize with those who find themselves in this situation. But,
I can't get beyond the idea that they are themselves responsible for
their own fate. They have choice. They can expend effort to educate
decision makers and influence them to use such things as RPG IV and
free-format RPG. And, they also have the ultimate choice to leave a
particular place of employ if that's what it takes.

Before you guys get started on these comments, I realize that such
uprooting might not be the easiest thing to do, but such is life.


> If the shops would spend the money to train their staffs on new stuff, the
> staffs would move.


I'm bothered by statements like this and the last one that put
everything on the employer. Don't get me wrong, I think plenty employers
are likely not the quintessential employer, but... 

While it might be true that if shops pushed staff, staff would move,
this statement is just another in a long line of ill-founded excuses.
It's the individuals responsibility to learn. And, they can learn much
for little or no cost.


> But largely that is not happening in mass. _One_ of the probems as I see it
> is that IBM and the trade press seem to be to tired of the "old" stuff that
> they permaturely jump on the new stuff and write articles and talk about it,
> often even before it is shipped. This only does two things in my mind;
> illustrates that even IBM doesn't like the stuff they put out, and two are
> so bored with stuff that just works, that they are introducing new stuff
> that doesn't work--today.


I can't speak for IBM, but I can speak for the trade press. I've seen
your comments before that (paraphrased) article writers are the only
people using things like free-format RPG. Well, that's simply not true.
Though yet in the minority, there are many shops using free-format RPG.
Pardon me for saying so, Bob, but your comment that the trade press
prematurely jumps on new stuff is a wee-bit silly, don't you think? Do
you think readership would be better served by a trade press that was in
the business of writing history books? Don't readers want the trade
press to include in their wares, information on newer things? 

 
> Several developers that I've worked with don't have the time to bother
> reading stuff about something that _may_ ship in 6 months or a year, because
> it'll be at least 12 to 24 months before they system is updated with that
> future stuff.


The attitude that it's a bother to read "stuff" speaks volumes to my
point about the fact that it's ultimately the individual who is to blame
for their lack of growth.


> Problem with /FREE include the need to place a semi colon at the end of
> EVERY statement.


This is another of those comments I've seen you make before. Come on
Bob, how difficult is that to do or to remember? If you prefer a
different technique for ending statements, that's fine, but to lament
the fact that the compiler writers chose the semi-colon method is a bit
much. It's no big deal. It's just another piece of litter on the pile of
ill-founded excuses.