It's nice to hear some people on this list are smart enough to realize there are
situations in this world that are beyond our control. And then there are other people
who are too immature to think that everyone else in the world has the same latitude and
time to do things the exact same way they choose to do it.
I have a number of reasons why I choose not to write in /free code.
Yes I did say "choose".
Reason number one is I am running on v4r4. Yes /free is available. I tried it. I can't
stand it. There are too many obstacles in v4r4. Most everything available in /free was
introduced after v5r1.
Reason number two. I don't see any advantage to go in and out of /free in v4r4 trying
to figure out what is available and what isn't available.
Reason number three. I don't have the time to learn the latest and greatest that IBM
decides to make available today. I can't run it on this box. I'm too busy trying to keep
up with the demands of the company. I'm sure there must be someone out there that
can understand being in a time crunch. If I had any extra time it would be dedicated to
converting a new System I that is sitting here turned off because I haven't had the
time to figure out how to upgrade to it. And before the people on this list that aren't
very smart decide to make stupid comments I'll add a little for you to think about. This
box running v4r4 is a 150. v4r4 is the highest OS you can run on a 150. The box that
was purchased is a 520 with v5r3. If I remember correctly the lowest OS that will run
on the box is v5r1 but if I load v5r1 I will loose the add-ons that came with the pre-
load. In IBM's infiniant wisdom they didn't make an upgrade path between the two
unless the company wanted to purchase another box just to make the conversion. And
to top it off when the box was purchased an IBM conversion specialist promised to show
me exactly how to make the jump (because he knew it had to be possible) and then
latter figured out he didn't know how and couldn't help me. So to sum it up: If I had
the time I would certainly be working on the hardware conversion before I spent the
time to work on learning /free.
Reason number three. All the tools to convert code to /free and helpers to write in
/free are only available starting in v5r1. I am not anxious to code without some tools.
Reason number four. Most of the code here was written with a code generator that
some hot shot from the company that it was purchased from thought was the greatest
thing since sliced bread. This company never purchased the code generator. Most of
everything required here deals with modifying the old code. When every I have a need
to touch a program that is still in RPG III I run it through a converter and then test
the heck out of it. When I go to the new box I don't know if I'll still be able to find a
converter to go from RPG III directly to /free.
It's super that a lot of you have the time, The resources and the latitude to play with
/free. I'd like to assure you all that when I have the resources and the time I too will
learn /free.
Gary Kuznitz
On 28 Sep 2010 at 12:38, sjl (sjl <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>) commented about Re:
Convert from free to fixed:
Steve, Vern, et al -
Gary Kuznitz wrote:
"Hi Steve, I don't program in /free.
I need to convert a program that was
written in free to fixed format. "
I stand by what I wrote previously. From the statement above, it appears to
that it is Gary's /preference/ to NOT code /free code, not that it was a
shop standard.
- sjl
Stephen Needles wrote:
I think that Gary is not the one you should fire...
it seems that Gary is just following the shop's standards.
The failing is the shop's management, they need to allow Gary to broaden
his skillset.
So, sjl, if Gary worked in "your" shop...perhaps it would be you that
should be fired. :-)
I think the quotes that follow many of Birgitta's posts sums it up best...
"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." (Derek Bok)
"What is worse than training your staff and losing them? Not training them
and keeping them!"
I wrote:
If Gary Kuznitz worked in /my/ shop, he'd be fired. Yesterday.
- sjl
David wrote:
Would someone please say why one would want to do this?
Roger wrote:
It hurts just to look at it in fixed format.......
=
midrange.com
