RE: Adoption of new RPG techniques

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Seth.D.Shields@xxxxxxxx
> </Joe Pluto wrote>

Seth, how about getting the name right <grin>.

Pluto is either a planet or a Disney character.

Anyway...


> With all due respect Joe, I don't think I have ever written a five
line
> program with one if/endif.  Most programs are much, much
> larger than that and include embedded DOs, IFs, SELECT/WHENs, FORs,
etc.
> As far as I am concerned, free format makes a huge
> difference in readability and maintainability.  I would define that as
> revolutionary.

If you're converting a 500-line mainline into /free, I contend that
you're actually abusing the syntax.  Using procedures to break the code
into readable fragments is far more revolutionary than indenting a long
monolithic chunk of procedural code, and procedures were introduced with
fixed format RPG IV.

The code fragment I showed is a procedure.  The idea behind procedures
is to allow you to write five-line pieces of code.  In fact, most
programming texts I read say that a procedure shouldn't span more than a
page, and you shouldn't go more than two levels of nesting.  And in that
environment, indenting is a lot less of an issue.

Three- and four-level nested code should be reviewed for possible
refactoring.  Five-level code should be sanity checked.  Six-level and
above needs to be rewritten in MI <smile>.

Joe