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On 12/01/2010, at 7:08 AM, Vern Hamberg wrote:
I guess I don't see the need for the H-spec - Jon has posited that
it is
sufficient to test positions 6-7 - if there is a C in position 6, it
is
a C-spec - maybe that'd be enough. And maybe it's enough to test
for //
anywhere for comments and blanks in 6-7 for various free-form syntax,
whether C or other kinds of specs.
That's true but the H-Spec acts as documentation for a maintenance
programmer. Indicates this is a free-form RPG program. Also, the H-
Spec may make it easier for the compiler writers to implement--a sort
of heads-up that a line of code with no specification is not an error
condition etc. I don't care either way. It would be nice to not have
to code /FREE and /END-FREE at all. How the compiler writers
accomplish that isn't of much moment but I see little need to squander
development dollars on a full free-form syntax when there is so much
else on which that money could be spent.
The other issue is opcodes for which there is no free equivalent - the
SCAN opcode already mentioned does have functionality that is still
useful, seems to me.
Yes, it's useful but can be replaced by a %scan loop or hidden in a
procedure.
Has there been a comprehensive document giving the free-form ways to
accomplish what the various non-free opcodes do?
Don't think so. The RPG Reference provides reasonable examples of
using the free-form variants and describes difference under Move
Operations, Date and Time Operations, etc.
Like how do you do all
the things the MOVEx can do - just what examples are there of that?
There is NO free-form equivalent to all the things MOVE can do. Mostly
the esoteric behaviour of MOVE is not required and an EVAL will
suffice. When you do need to use MOVE or any of the other op-codes
that have no free-form equivalent just hide them in a procedure and
call that from your free-form code.
In fact, I've just realised why /FREE isn't such a big issue for me. I
specify /FREE at the start of the mainline C-specs and /END-FREE at
the end but my procedures themselves tend to be in fixed-form. My
procedures don't tend to be large and there is little to be gained by
using free-form vs. fixed (except a bit more typing space). Mind you,
the bulk of my procedures are in service programs and so the code is
not visible in the consuming program. Also, with fixed-form I don't
have to type all those bloody semi-colons!
Then we could make snippets of them all - hey- maybe IBM could make
such
snippets - and use those.
Perhaps that's a candidate for a new Wiki section?
Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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