RE: Sharing variables between procedures

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Scott Klement
> 
> Frankly, defining your parameters as LIKEDS is a much better idea than
> using pointers.   But, using a pointer is a parm is still much much
better
> than using import/export!!

Does LIKEDS enforce type checking?  That is, can you only pass a DS of
the correct structure?  If so, it's indeed much better than pointers.
If not, it's just better, not "much" better <grin>.

One reason I use pointers is I'm still at V5R1.  The other is that I
always get confused as to how to specify a data structure to be passed
by reference, so that the called procedure can update it.  I don't want
the call to make an intermediate copy of the data.  What's the exact
parameter coding that will ensure a pass by reference (which is
essentially what I'm doing with the pointer)?  And if this also includes
type checking, then I'm in hog heaven!

The one other thing I didn't like about data structures is that if you
define them locally to your procedure, they have to go on the heap,
unless you define them as static... but that's a different discussion.

Joe