RE: Date compare Best Practices -- RPG400-L

It can not be a question of skills since RPGIV requires no new skill, at
least at the conversion level.  It has to be a question of perception.  

There is a word that always comes to mind in these discussions.  Shibboleth.
 
 
 
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Booth Martin   http://www.MartinVT.com
Booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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-------Original Message-------
 
From: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Date: 02/26/04 17:01:42
To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: Date compare Best Practices
 
The bigger question is why the hell are people not MOVING to RPG IV?
I just don't get it, I know about legacy code and not wanting to break it,
but if we're doing maintenance... why not convert it?
The only reasoning I can think of is that there is an issue with skills.
-Bob
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of DeLong, Eric
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 4:50 PM
To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: Date compare Best Practices
 
Hmm?  The 10000.01 trick only works because RPG compilers before ILE don't
care if you truncate numeric digits.  I'd also question whether the RPGIII
community REALLY understands why this works.
 
Eric DeLong
Sally Beauty Company
MIS-Project Manager (BSG)
940-898-7863 or ext. 1863
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Booth Martin [mailto:Booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 4:33 PM
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Date compare Best Practices
 
 
I am beginning to get a tad paranoid here.
 
 
 
What is wrong with the mult 10000.01 trick?  Obviously the entire RPG III
community already understands it.  Also, it works.  Documentation is is no
big deal because it is pretty much self-documenting.
 
 
 
Just because the other lesser languages cannot rely on the values of their
numeric fields is no reason for us to back down and use inferior methods
like the hard-to-understand data structure tricks.  ;p
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------
 
Booth Martin   http://www.MartinVT.com
 
Booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx
 
---------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
 
 
From: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
 
Date: 02/26/04 14:53:12
 
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Subject: Re: Date compare Best Practices
 
 
 
Bob Cozzi wrote:
 
> There is nothing wrong with using the "MULT 10000.01" technique in RPGIII.
I
 
> do it every time I need to convert a date in that old language.
 
> If you use it in RPG IV, then you are right it is a questionable choice.
 
> The only other technique in RPG III is to use a data structure, but that
can
 
> be a bit more complex that the MULT. If you haven't seen it before then it
 
> doesn't matter which one you use because the person maintaining the code
 
> after you will have to deal with it, so just be sure to document it
 
> properly.
 
> -Bob
 
 
 
Well, once you factor in the necessary comments, moving DS subfields
 
still ends up as fewer source records. Not to mention 100-150 times
 
faster. But why use a clear and efficient programming technique when
 
there are some really cool ways (like that MULT trick) to show off your
 
programming prowess? ;-)
 
 
 
Cheers! Hans