RE: Free-Form vs Fixed Form.

Steve,
I'm a big non-/free advocate, but I don't see what using ILE has to do with
/Free. You can certainly make the move to free format, or partial free
format without using any of the ILE pieces, such as binding, modules,
service programs, etc. Certainly whether or not you use /free has no baring
on the use of subprocedures either.

-Bob Cozzi
www.RPGxTools.com
RPG xTools - Enjoy programming again.


-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Steve Richter
Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 7:49 PM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: Free-Form vs Fixed Form.

On 1/2/06, Mike Pantzopoulos - (H/O) <mpantzopoulos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I am trying to initiate some debate at my site with regards to free-form
> RPG.
>
> I have been trying to think of the pros & cons of free form vs fixed
> form. Personally I would prefer to use free-form. However, trying to be
> fair and balanced, I was trying to think of arguments as to why we
> should not move to free form. I can't think of any. Does anybody have
> any views on why a move to free-form is not a good thing?

well I think I can argue anything,  so let me give it a shot ...

Consider that if people in your dept dont know both sql procedures and
free form rpg, it is a much better use of the programmers time to
learn sql procedures.  a strong case can be made that rpg is not the
best choice when writing sql batch applications. sql procedure code is
more portable and easier to code in than rpg sql.

using ile service programs introduces more complexity into your
application.  the whole signature scheme does not make much sense to
me in that *prv signatures do not match up ( at least for me ) the
export numbers from the calling module to the called service program. 
( see what I mean about the increased complexity! )  Adding exports to
a service program should scare the operations manager.

To use rpg free, you also have to understand ILE.  Having to know ILE
steepens the learning curve quite a bit.  ( how many people on this
list know how to use opdesc so that an rpg free procedure can be
effectively called from a CLLE module? )

All this extra knowledge does help a lot, but it does not really get
you to the programmers promised land like java and c# do.  ILE RPG
does not provide a managed code environment, no try ... finally
blocks, no throwing and catching of exceptions and no namespace
support.  So to write solid applications in ILE RPG you have to think
more than programmers of other languages and write more code.   Kind
of like two steps forward when you learn RPG ILE and one step back to
write the extra needed code.

In light of the fact that we are not supposed to be writing anymore
green screen applications and batch code is better written in sql
procedures, how much is gained by moving up to rpg free?

-Steve


>
> Mike Pantzopoulos
>
> EIG-Ansvar Limited
> Tel  : 61 (3) 9614 3535
> Fax: 61 (3) 9614 2740
>
>
>
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