RE: RPGIII to get a facelift?

[Scott Klement <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I'm not saying I wouldn't like to see some of those functions your
> requesting. But,

> You want an incentive to move that the users will see
> benefit from? How about decreased development time? Moving production code
> to RPGIV with subprocs, service pgms, etc will reduce the time of your
> projects.

Aha!  But I'm already getting those benefits.  You see, all new
development is in RPG IV. My RPG III programs havent been touched in 10
years (aside from recompiles because I added a field to file.)

Doing nothing to them requires no development time.  Converting them to
RPG IV when nothing needs to be done to them does require development
time.

And the RPG II programs are worse.

> You start spending less time on the functions that happen in every
> program and start spending your time on the problem at hand. Your testing
> time is reduced as your standard business rules are placed into one
> location...known good, tested and proven code. Users want to see results.
> When they make a request for a new inquiry screen or report and you turn
> that around faster, that's the result.

You're preaching to the choir.

>
> As for time for conversion, I don't really see it. Maybe I'm lucky, but,
> every program I've ever converted from RPGIII to RPGIV with CVTRPGSRC has
> compiled and worked without any modifications or costly conversion time. Oh,
> well there was the minute or so in making a PDM option. Yeah, then there was
> the short amount of time for the command to churn out RPGIV. Sure, it's
> still RPGIII in an RPGIV source member. But, it's a start for those who want
> to take baby steps towards the future.


If I had 10 programs, you'd be right.  I've got 5000 programs, however.
My staff is backlogged by 9 months just for the volume of new projects
we've got coming in.  The thought of recompiling and testing 5000 programs
is overwhelming!