Re: Classic Traps -- I need your input!

In my very first AS/400 job, I had to debug a program that was written in
RPG, but the programmer used variable names like A$, B$ (as if this was MS
Basic!). Did not use RPG III's CAT op code, and manipulated strings through
arrays. Very frustrating (especially for a newbie). I think I ended up
asking, what do you want the program to do, and re-writing it.

On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 10:42 AM, Carmen Nuland <cnuland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I'd say the most common classic traps in our company are:

1) "data leakage" ... not clearing fields before using them again (usually
in a loop)

2) record locking for an Update file, when you don't need to lock the
record
(thereby causing problems later in that program or not allowing someone
else
to access the record).

3) Not using Monitor/On-Error when converting dates or characters into
numbers.

Not sure if this is a "trap" or not - but calling an RPG program from
another RPG program. If the 2nd one fails, there's no way to recover from
the error.

Some "old-style" traps that we don't allow anymore:
* CPF0000 global monitoring in CL programs
* 10000.0001 and prefer to use date data types instead.
* The worst that we used to see was when someone would clear indicators
using something like this:
Movea '01100' *IN(25)
Very frustrating when you're trying to find out when *In27 was set on!!
And
how's this for ugly?!
Move *On *IN($#) // $# is set in a Do loop!

Carmen


--
This is the RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.