Re: Plain old RPGLE program in /Free -- RPG400-L

If the purpose of the prototype is to simply define the PLIST parameters for the current program, EXTPGM is not required on the 'PR' (prototype definition), though it won't break anything if it's there.
If one is prototyping to make a callp to another program the EXTPGM keyword and value are required. But Pete's example seemed to indicate that he is trying to define the parameters of this program's (MAIN's) PLIST. The combination of the protoype ('PR') and interface ('PI') in the D-specs of the mainline are what do this. The 'PI' spec line(s) in fact define the parameters that the program will use when it is called; the 'PR' field names are irrelevant (can even be blank), but the field attributes between the PR and PI must match.

On the other hand, if MAIN is a procedure internal to the program, the EXTPGM keyword is still not required. In fact, would cause the program to (hopefully) not compile.
* Jerry C. Adams
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Wilt, Charles wrote:

Pete,

You don't need DFTACTGRP(*NO).

What you're missing is EXTPGM on the prototype.

D Main PR extpgm('MYPGM')
D 8A
Also, you don't want the P-spec, just the D-spec procedure interface.

*-----------------------------------------------------------
* Begin Mainline
* Note the following PI and it's corresponding prototype
* replace the *ENTRY PLIST specs
*-----------------------------------------------------------
D Main PI
D MyParm 8A
C/free

HTH,
Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Pete Helgren
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 11:41 AM
To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Plain old RPGLE program in /Free

I was feeling pretty comfortable with my transition from RPGIII to RPGLE and /free until I needed to write a program from scratch that wasn't using *ENTRY to pass parms to the program. I must not understand the differences between the way RPGIII passed parameters and the way RPGLE operates.

What I have been doing (cheating) was to have a short, initial non-free calculation section like this:

C *ENTRY PLIST
C PARM MyParm
C/free

What I want to do is to do it "correctly". So after poking around the Internet I thought I came up with the solution:

D Main PR
D 8A
D*********************************************************
D*Main Procedure
D*********************************************************
P Main B
D PI
D MyParm 8A
C/free
// Body of the program here

It wouldn't compile until I used dftactgrp(*no) actgrp(*caller) on the H specs.

Although it compiles, when I run it in debug mode, the program is invoked but "hangs" at the command line, it never progresses to the first statement of the program which is where I have my breakpoint set.

So the question is: What is the correct way to write a simple program in RPGLE that takes parameters? What do I do with the *ENTRY PLIST method of passing parameters? I could go back to using the *ENTRY PLIST approach but I'd like to use the "correct" way, if there is such a thing...

Thanks,

Pete Helgren

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