Re: %PARMS not always "trusted"?

[Barbara Morris <bmorris@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob Cozzi wrote:
> I believe the CL interface, which is probably what's being used, will pass the
> minimal descriptor as well. Similar to calling it from Command Entry.
> I think it was referring to C calling RPG IV.

%PARMS for procedures is implemented by using the operational-descriptor
mechanism; one part of the information in an operational descriptor is
the number of parameters.  A "full" operational descriptor has (some)
information about every parameter that is passed, but RPG only builds a
full one if asked (OPDESC keyword on the prototype or (D) extender on
CALLB).  Otherwise, it just builds a "minimal" one that only has the
number of parameters.

So you're fine to use %PARMS if RPGLE is your caller.  And CL always
passes a full operational descriptor, so that's fine too.  But C and
COBOL both have to be told to pass a descriptor.  There are a few ways
to call your procedure that will never pass a descriptor; for example
the SrvpgmCall class in the Java toolkit, an API whose name I forget
that will call a procedure in a service program, JNI native-method
calls, and I think SQL stored procedure calls.