RE: RPG IV release levels and complexity

Rob,
I embrace the changes and this has nothing to do with my books, as they are
always up to date... with the current release.
If you know me, you know I do thing from the heart, and not an ulterior
motive. In fact, people often suggest that I've been to humble in promoting
my stuff over the years; I've tried to change that lately (two kids in
college, and one getting married in June 2004 <g>).
My problem is not with free format so let's not start that debate again. My
problem is with the shotgun approach to features on every release. I can't
use, for example data structures as arrays because they weren't ready for
V5R1. Why can't I? Is there anything in V5R2 that enables data structures as
arrays? No, its just that that's the way the compiler is packaged, I have
convince people to upgrade? 
In my twice-monthly free e-newsletter, if I publish some useful tool and it
requires the V5R2 compilers, how many readers are actually going to be able
to use it?  And that's my problem.

Bob Cozzi
Cozzi Consulting
www.rpgiv.com


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 7:46 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: RPG IV release levels and complexity

The only possible benefit is if you write RPG books for a living and you 
are tired of them being obsolete by the time they get the bindings 
applied.


Just a small dig.  :-)  They aren't really obsolete.  They should just 
mention as to what release they are current on, and the developer should 
know to look at the manuals for the "What has changed for this release" 
section.

Rob Berendt
-- 
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary 
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." 
Benjamin Franklin 




"Jon Paris" <Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent by: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
11/17/2003 07:01 PM
Please respond to
RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


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RE: RPG IV release levels and complexity






 >> Bob said "I guess I just don't understand the rational for this line 
of
thinking."

Bob - you've completely confused me.  I was following _your_ logic!

Microsoft support out of date releases.  I merely suggested that asking 
IBM
to do the same was the best option.

MS don't stop releasing new versions every couple of years just because
users don't upgrade their OS!

_If_ IBM allowed the RPG team to PTF the service programs needed to 
support
old releases, everything else would be moot.  Why is that so hard to
understand?  If they can PTF to back releases then it doesn't matter what
release schedule they follow - you can use the compiler level you want and
target any release that the run-time supports.

Even if I buy into your proposal to only have one compiler release per
version - you _still_ need to get Rochester to agree to PTF to
out-of-service releases or by the time you get to VnR3 your code still 
won't
work on VnR1.

I just don't see what possible benefit there is to anyone to only have one
compiler release every 4 - 5 years.  Seems to me if you _really_ want to
convince the world that RPG is dead that that would be an excellent way to
go.  No upgrades for three + years - that for sure would place you in
Gartner's "dead" category.

Jon Paris
Partner400
www.Partner400.com


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