RE: free form RPG reference

Lim,

Good luck.  You are fighting an old and common battle.  If the other
"programmers" can't see the benefit of the cleaner code, easier to use
op codes, and greater functionality and flexibility of free format, then
I feel sorry for them.  One thing that worked here was to show them how
much easier it was to code in free format with WDS cans RSE.  Maybe that
will work for you.  Good Luck.

--
Thanks,
Bob Dobrowolski
Sr. Programmer Analyst
Star Stainless Screw Co.
973-256-2300  x232
-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lim Hock-Chai
Sent: Thursday, 12 October, 2006 10:24
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: free form RPG reference

Yeap.  I use local variable a lot.  But some programmers think that they
are confusing and useless.  For them, it ain't that hard to define a new
global variable and the "best" part is that the global variable is more
"powerful", you can access it from anyway in the program.

My problem is going to be how to come up with a proposal that has enough
ROI to out weight the "standard" or what majority of programmers in the
shop used to. 

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Michael_Schutte@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 9:10 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: free form RPG reference

My own experiences have shown that I can code programs faster in /free.
I don't have to worry about if I'm in the right column and can just code
away.

I know longer define key list on I/O operations.   I put the key right
on
the i/o statement.  for example    chain (field1:field2) somefile;  So
that
the next person coming in can see immediately what I'm chaining with,
without having to search for the keylist.




Dig in! Bob Evans New Knife & Fork Sandwiches - This much homestyle
goodness demands a Knife & Fork!


rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 10/12/2006 10:05:31 AM:

Maybe RPG is mostly used in business world and in business "standard"
out weight anything that doesn't have any significant ROI.



-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lim Hock-Chai
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 9:00 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: free form RPG reference

It always sound strange for me to use learning curve as an excuse to 
request all developers to not use/explore new feature of a language 
that the developer is supposed to master in.



-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jonathan Mason
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:34 AM
To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: free form RPG reference

Hi Tom

How could this become a "management approval" item? How is it 
different

from using an API that

became available for V5R1 or a new IBM command? Especially, how is 
it

different from using a new

%bif or any other feature of a language?

It's very different because it has an impact on the whole RPG 
programming department.  Use of a new %BIF or command can have an 
impact
- I've been in a number of sites where new %BIFs weren't allowed 
because of variations in operating system levels.

The change to free format RPG requires some degree of a learning curve

which by its nature will reduce the programming efficiency of the 
programmer involved and there is also the problem of having to 
maintain something you may not be familiar with.  A lot of places will

stick with fixed format RPG purely because that's what their 
programmers know and is also what their packaged software is written

in.

I've worked at a number of sites in the UK and at one of them, a major

automotive company, a contractor had to ask for permission to code a 
program in RPG IV simply to get around a field/record size limit.  
That was 5-6 years ago and I doubt if there programming standards have

changed much since then.

Jonathan



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