Re: Adoption of new RPG techniques

[James Rich <james@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Scott Mildenberger wrote:
> Fixed format handles the below just fine, all you have to add is
> the callp.  I have been doing this for years.  If you are going
> to argue one way or the other in this debate you really should
> understand what the other side is capable of.  Otherwise your
> whole argument will be ignored when someone sees a statement

True enough - I should have tried it.  However since this isn't a debate 
competition I hope that people pick out points based on their individual 
validity and not on whether or not every point is completely correct 
(i.e. if one thing is wrong don't throw out everything).  Regardless it 
is good to know that my example is simple under extended factor 2 style 
fixed format.

> like that below.  Although I prefer the /free for coding I find
> the extended factor 2 in fixed format allowed for code that was
> almost the same in readablity and functionality.   

Which brings me to this important point:  all the discussions in favor 
of fixed formant have all used examples that involve an extended factor 
2.  I believe that the extended factor 2 is simply free format for half 
the columns.  If we stuck to what I'm going to call "true fixed format" 
then we would have:

<indicators> <factor 1> <operator> <factor 2> <result> <indicators>

Extended factor 2 is a sort of union between free format and true fixed 
format.  Everyone seems in favor of the free format part of extended 
factor 2.  Why not stick to your guns and go all the way?  No one seems 
to want to use true fixed format, i.e.:

        callp   function
        parm            parm1
        parm            parm2

Indeed, with the above true fixed format what I suggested is not 
possible.  You can't code:

        callp   function
        parm            parm1
        parm            parm2
        parm            function2
        parm            parm1offunction2
        parm            parm2offunction2

The free format part of extended factor 2 is the part everyone seems to 
like.  Let's just admit it.

James Rich