RE: convert Program described file to Externally described file in RPGIII

Rename the fields if you can't re-write the program immediately.
No point in creating extra work if you are going to do a re-write
eventually.

KISS principle.


Norm Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of David FOXWELL
Sent: Friday, 1 October 2010 10:18 PM
To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i
Subject: convert Program described file to Externally described file in
RPGIII

Ugh, I've been able to avoid this kind of job up 'til now.
Any tips for doing this the least painful way?

My file has LOTS of field names, one or two of them only are the same as the
external field names. I just noticed the internal name for the keyfield is
actually the name of another external field!

I'm not sure if I should create I specs to rename the external fields to
avoid touching the C and O specs, or keep the real names and insert loads of
messy comment lines where I modify the C and O specs.
Also, I was hoping with RDP, I could display the list of fields with their
positions and copy and paste, but the field positions aren't shown.

I'm doing this as a prelude to converting the source to RPGIV.

Thanks