RE: SQL finally "free'd"???

 >> I'll give IBM the benefit of the doubt on "what the big deal is"...

The "big deal" is that the current implementation of the pre-compiler has
some major inherent problems.  They could have been resolved with a new
design, but financial considerations (I'm guessing) forced them to choose
instead to add chewing gum and baler twine to the current design.

The pre-compiler design forces it to understand RPG.  In essence all it
should really need to understand is that if something begins with a colon,
you need to ask RPG to resolve it for you.  At the end of the day, all data
references come down to a pointer to a specific memory location.  Admittedly
this would have required changes in both the RPG compiler and the SQL
precompiler.  But unless IBM opts to bite the bullet, then we as users will
always face restrictions both in what we can code in the RPG portions of the
code (because the pre-compiler won't understand it) and in the SQL in terms
of host variables.

I guess we should just be happy that a lot of the limits have been removed.
I am happy, with that, but I can't help thinking that a real fix would have
been so much nicer.  The investment that has already been made however,
probably just increases IBM's reluctance to throw it away and start over.
C'est la vie!

Jon Paris
Partner400

www.Partner400.com
www.RPGWorld.com