RE: No syntax checking in free-form RPG

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Carel Teijgeler
>
> Joe,
>
> I have experienced similar feautures.
>
> Coding some lines without the 'C' in postion 6 it simply accepted
> an EVAL line without the infamous semi-colon.
>
> Strangely enough: coding multiple lines of H-specs and using one
> keyword twice (on different lines) will generate an syntax error.

That's correct, multiple line editing is not an issue.  Lots of other SEU
syntaxes have multiple line editing.  The explanation given is that
free-form is too hard to parse.  I'm not sure why free-form RPG is harder
than, say, Java or COBOL, but that's the official position.


> But then: with progress you have to give up the advantages of the past.

I'm not sure I define that as progress.  It's just change, and change for
change's sake is not necessarily better.  One man's view.

Joe