Re: Large Return values (was Re: Variable Length Field Question)

On Fri, 21 May 2004 07:51:50 -0400
 Hans Boldt <boldt@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> But what you suggest would still require a lot of
> additional functionality that an RPG programmer would
> have to learn in order to achieve efficient return of
> large aggregates from procedures. Ideally, we want the
> advantages to be available with as little coding as
> possible on the part of the average RPG programmer. No
> new syntax would be best, but one keyword on the
> prototype definition would also be acceptable, we think.
> Requiring the RPG programmer to think in terms of
> pointers, constructors, and destructors is right out.
> 
> Cheers! Hans

In that case I would think the easiest way to handle it
would be down at the low level so the programmer shouldn't
have to worry about which keyword or combination of
keywords and definitions to use on paramaters, in or out.  

It's sort of that way now.  Pass by reference unless you
specifically tell it to pass by value.  Variable strings
then come into play and confuse the matter more.  It may be
a lot of work, but even in the business programming world
there's the "easy way" and the "right way".  :)

Brad