RE: Function Opinion

["Johnson, Duane" <djohnson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Buck Said
"With one function per service program, how does one create a uniform set of
utility functions?  Sharing status flags and so forth?  Pass them to each
function as a parameter?  How does one know if a function has been created
already?  With many service programs, it becomes increasingly difficult to
locate an existing function for re-use.  How does one handle figurative
constants like return values?  /COPY them into every function and
re-compile/bind/deploy each one when the list of return codes changes?"


  I suppose it's easier for me, since I'm the only one here.  I know,
provided that I can remember :-), what functions I've created and what they
do.  And all functions that are used in more than one place are stored in
one library - named UTILITY, of course.
  Status is simple.  For each function there are two possible results.
Either it worked, or it didn't.  If it works, it returns a result.  If it
didn't work it returns an error code, and it's my job as programmer to
determine why.
  I guess I don't understand the question about return values.  One function
may return a centered string while another returns the position of a field
on a display screen.  If you're talking about error codes, (which obviously
I don't use, but could if the necessity should arise) I would put the codes
and their meanings in a separate file, that would be available via another
function.