Re: Moving to RPGIV

[Scott Klement <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The book "RPG IV Jump Start" by Bryan Meyers is designed to quickly get
you going on RPG IV from RPG III.  I used this book to help my people make
the jump back in 1996 (Though, that was the first edition, and the
following link is for the fourth edition)

http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/store/books/Uniquebook2.cfm?NextBook=195

Back when I made the jump, there wasn't that much that was different
between RPG III and RPG IV.  There were D-specs, the columns were a little
different, you could use longer variable names, but that was about it.
That's not true anymore!

Like others have suggested, I recommend taking it one step at a time.  Try
converting your programs with CVTRPGSRC.  That'll give you V3R1-level RPG
IV code that's compatible.   Once you've gotten accustomed to that, then
start using EVAL and the other extended factor 2 operations (IF, WHEN,
DOW, DOU, etc) instead of the old fashioned factor1/factor2/result
doohickeys.

Once you're comfortable with that, learn prototypes & subprocedures. Then
free-form...  one step at a time...

The best piece of advice, however:  Don't turn back.  Once you start using
it, force yourself to always use it.   It's too easy to say "I have to get
this done YESTERDAY, so I'll do it in RPG III and move to RPG IV next
time!" and that really hurts your progress...  Do everything in RPG IV,
and don't turn back.  In less than a year, you'll wonder how you ever
survived with RPG III...

---
Scott Klement  http://www.scottklement.com

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004, Pete Helgren wrote:

> OK, OK, Uncle!!!!
>
> I have to start moving to RPG IV from my "comfortable" RPG III.  I already
> do quite a bit of work in Java and have done stuff in C++ so, how hard can
> this be, right?  What I'd like to is find out how best to make the jump in
> the quickest, most painless way.  Most of the programming examples posted
> are in RPG IV so I REALLY need to move.
>
> I am not a "classically trained" programmer, so an approach or reference
> that is short on theory and long on practical examples is what I am after.
> If you had to choose one, and at most, two resources, which would you
> choose?
>
> Thanks.   Looking forward to RPG IV !
>
> Pete Helgren
> Value Added Software,Inc.
> 801.581.1154 x202
>
>
>