RE: External DS as parm

["Jeff Crosby" <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > I want to know if this will work.  I have a main program calling a 
> > subprogram (XCPRIC) that I am prototyping.  The parms are external 
> > data structures.  The prototype (copied in to main program and 
> > subprogram) looks like this:
> >
> >     D XCPRIC          PR                  ExtPgm('XCPRIC')
> >     D  pCustDS                            LikeDS(CustDS)
> >     D  pItemDS                            LikeDS(ItemDS)
> >     D  pInvDS                             LikeDS(InvDS)
> 
> The only stumbling block I can think of with this approach is that the
> LIKEDS() statements create a dependency on those data 
> structures. That means that every single calling program will 
> have to define a CustDS, ItemDS and InvDS -- and you'd better 
> make sure that those names always correspond to the same data 
> structures, or you'll have real problems!
> 
> To solve this problem I suggest:
> 
> a) You include the data structures in the /COPY member with 
> the prototype so that they're always there.

That's a great idea.  The only problem is some of the calling programs have
renames of some subfields.  Not the same in each program.

-- 
Jeff Crosby
Dilgard Frozen Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 13369
Ft. Wayne, IN 46868-3369
260-422-7531

The opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the opinion of my
company.  Unless I say so.