RE: Free Form RPG Opinions Wanted

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Bartell, Aaron L.
>
> Joe, I can respect your compassion for "older coders who don't really want
> to learn new things".  But, I don't see how you can escape rapid
> change with
> technology the way it is today.  I just need you to clarify this for me; I
> don't see how an "older coder..." would have an easier time learning your
> "extended format" vs. /Free.  They seem to be the same amount of learning,
> IMO.  I would have to go to a RedBook or manual, for both of them, to get
> the IBM syntax definition.

Because it looks far more RPG-like my way.  With CHAIN right there in the
opcode.  All that happened is that the KLIST moved from the left of the
opcode to the right.  Minor difference to you, but you're hardly a veteran
RPG programmer, so you wouldn't be able to judge.


> Since you are the MOVE evangelist why don't you write (and test)
> a sub proc
> called move() and distribute it to us all so we can be done with that
> discussion.

Why in the world should I do this?  That's the responsibility of the folks
who take it away from me.


> I am trying to think of the last time I've needed
> move since I
> started /free. . . I don't think I have.  IMO, the _only_ valid
> argument you
> have with MOVE is that it would be a lot easier to do mass conversions of
> code.

Again, Aaron, you're not exactly a veteran RPG developer.  Among the many
reasons we use MOVE instructions is to: create a lot number based on the
date, insert a number into a unique key, convert data to be sent to a flat
file or a communications line.

All of these "can" be handled with a combination of %SUBST and %EDITC, but
with MOVE, they can be done quite easily.