RE: Recommendations for Modular Coding HOWTO

"Actually, modular (or structured) programming was how they taught us to
write COBOL back in the 1970's.  Interesting to see it resurfacing."

That's the same for me. I learnt/was taught COBOL back in the 1970's, and
then introduced to modular (or structured) programming once I (supposedly)
understood COBOL. Another name given to modular programming was GOTO-less
programming.
The way modular programming was explained to me was to split the coding
into little blocks (sections or paragraphs etc. in COBOL, subroutines etc
in RPG). These little blocks of coding had one single purpose in life. For
example, that purpose was to:-
1. Print the headings on a new page
OR
2. Write a record to a file. (This may also include the increment of a
counter, as well as the initialization of fields in that record, prior to
returning back to the mainline code.
OR
3. Calculating the check digit to an account number
A good way of modularizing, was that each little block would correspond to
a block in our flow-chart. (I haven't seen one of those in decades).
There are no real hard and fast rules to this. Somebody is going to read
what I have written and proclaim, "What a load of !@#$%^&. Modularization
is such and such a thing", and from their perspective, they would be
correct.
A question you have to ask is, does this little block of code (Section,
paragraph, subroutine etc.) do one thing?
If need be, can this little block of code (Section, paragraph, subroutine
etc.) be used in multiple different places and obtain the same end-result,
with no change.


Alan Shore

NBTY, Inc
(631) 244-2000 ext. 5019
AShore@xxxxxxxx


                                                                       
             "Wilt, Charles"                                           
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             04/25/2006 03:00          RE: Recommendations for Modular 
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Wes,

The "Who Knew..." Redbook is on my list.

It's useful, but limited in the amount of examples it provides with
respect to modular coding.


Thanks,

Charles Wilt
--
iSeries Systems Administrator / Developer
Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America
ph: 513-573-4343
fax: 513-398-1121


> -----Original Message-----
> From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Wes Reinhold
> Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 1:48 PM
> To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
> Subject: RE: Recommendations for Modular Coding HOWTO
>
> The RedBook, "Who knew you do that with RPG IV, etc. etc.",
> at least the
> older version, has a good chapter on this.
> Actually, modular (or structured) programming was how they
> taught us to
> write COBOL back in the 1970's.  Interesting to see it resurfacing.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Wilt, Charles
> Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 1:18 PM
> To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
> Subject: Recommendations for Modular Coding HOWTO
>
> All,
>
> I'm trying to locate some reference materials to help my RPG III
> programmers get a better picture of how to code in a more modular
> fashion.
>
> Materials with RPG IV examples would be great, but it seems
> most RPG IV
> reference material is geared toward syntax instead of application
> design.
>
> Anybody have any favorites or know of training that focuses
> on the usage
> of RPG IV instead of the syntax.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Charles Wilt
> --
> iSeries Systems Administrator / Developer Mitsubishi Electric
> Automotive
> America
> ph: 513-573-4343
> fax: 513-398-1121
>
>
> --
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