RE: Adoption of new RPG techniques

[Scott Klement <klemscot@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> So do you want to say "tough luck" to the shop that is trying to make use of
> the new stuff or "tough luck" to the shop that is stuck using the old stuff
> and may not need the new stuff?

I don't think anyone is saying "tough luck" at all.   There are free form
examples.  (in fact, perhaps 80% of the ones I've looked at recently have
been free form) and that's a GOOD THING.

But, let's say you came out of college today, and never knew any other
syntax besides free form.   That's certainly possible, since unless you've
been working in RPG for a long time, free-form is more intuitive to you.
Now, you take a job in a place that has existing fixed-form code.  How are
you going to learn what the code is doing?   You need simple, concise,
fixed-form examples.

> Lowest common denominator stuff clouds progress, IMO.  If a company wants to
> stick with RPGIII or fixed format for the rest of their lives let them, but
> don't let that hold back the companies that need RPG to get into this
> centuries programming model(s).

This century? :)   Free-form is last century :)   Free-format languages
have outnumbered fixed format, and been in wider use, since the 1970's!