Re: Multiple Displays vs One Display

[Jerry Adams <jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree that modularity is important here, as elsewhere.  Actually I was 
taught this principle on my first day on the job as a programmer 
(1973).  And then we did not have callable programs, much less 
subprocedures.

Anyway, I think that setting a "rule" regarding the number of panels per 
program is insane.  Modularity is defined by function, not some silly 
number.  An example:  The order entry program that I maintain came with 
an item inquiry subroutine embedded in it.  It's still there, but I keep 
adding functions but these are plug-ins that can be used by any other 
program.  However, the panels that deal strictly with entering an order 
(there are five of them) are properly part of the order entry program.  
That being said, I will eventually (I swear) re-write it using ILE RPG 
(it's currently RPG II, sigh) leaving the control (and panels) in a 
single program, but splitting the business logic off into subprocedures 
in one or more service programs.


	* Jerry C. Adams
*IBM System i Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
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Carmen Nuland wrote:
> Our company has recently tried to steer away from using multiple displays.
> We've found that the more displays you have to manage in a program, the
> longer the program becomes and more complex it ends up being.  Ever try to
> read a program that uses 6 different displays, all with subfiles?  Nasty!
> (Especially if all of the fields are named slightly different, because none
> of the files are prefixed!).
> That said, we do still on occasion keep multiple display files together.  An
> example might be a maintenance program where you have a couple of add /
> change windows to bring up.  When possible, we split into one display per
> program.  More modular that way too!
> Carmen
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thompson, Glenn [mailto:gthompson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 9:37 AM
> To: RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries
> Subject: Multiple Displays vs One Display
>
> I have an opinion oriented question.  I have noticed in our shop that
> many programs use multiple displays within one program.  What is the
> prevailing wisdom of many displays in a program versus one program/one
> display?
>
> Glenn Thompson
>
> Senior Analyst
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