Re: RPG Futures (was free form RPG reference)

On 10/12/06, vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxx <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Poppycock!! Rich data structures like limitless arrays (no such thing, actually - 
>there are always limits on things) are done every day on the i5 - in anything 
>written in C/C++ - I cannot let this false impression go without comment. Not 
>enough CPW? Sheesh!!

we are talking RPG, the predominant language on the i5. Limitless
arrays have to exist on the heap. Standard RPG arrays are allocated on
the call stack. It takes more CPU to alloc from the heap than from the
call stack.  Once you alloc from the heap you have to run cleanup code
to dealloc the limitless array. To do that correctly you probably have
to run CEERTX to make sure all the allocations are freed. This sort of
thing takes more CPW to do. You can argue how much, but you make no
sense if you are saying there is no impact.

Look at it another way. RPG Free is kind of primitive in terms of its
features compared to all other languages in use today. ( excluding
COBOL and C ). no try finally blocks, no inheritance, no class
destructors. I am not knocking the language. It works pretty well.
RPG Free is only used on the i5. The i5 is the only computer system
sold today with a fractional CPU. All other systems are multi core
speed demons. The average i5 520 has 1000 CPW - that is 1/4 of a core.
RPG is used on the i5 because an RPG program does not use much CPU.
Once you start down the road of features like limitless arrays you
will need more CPW.  As I said - progress!

-Steve