Re: Display subfile page number

Jerry -

I am one who (in the early 80's) learned the value of the structured
methodology and functional decomposition (concepts taught by Dijkstra,
Yourdon, and others). Even before the advent of ILE I was accustomed to
writing modular, reusable code; It was not 'bound' code on the System/38 and
initially on the AS/400, since they only supported dynamic calls, but it was
reusable code.

In my experience, the best programmers are 'lazy' programmers - that is, I
don't like writing the same code over and over, I prefer reusable code.

In the early days, I accomplished this by either putting the reusable code
into subroutines defined in copybooks OR putting it into sub-programs which
were called from various other programs to achieve modularity.

The shop standard where I currently work is basically to keep the OPM
programs as OPM programs, unless there is a compelling reason to convert
them to RPGIV - and sometimes even with a compelling reason [unless we have
reached the limitations of the OPM compiler] it becomes very difficult to
convince management that is worthwhile to spend any additional time on an
existing, working program to enhance its readability and maintainability.

However, when writing /new/ code, I use many aspects of the ILE -
subprocedures, service programs, and binding source - the whole nine yards.
I am far from being able to call myself an 'expert' on all of this stuff -
anyone who does is blowing smoke up your a$$!

I learn new techniques daily, often from viewing example code posted by
others here on the RPG400-L list.

In the final analysis, however, most AS/400 - iSeries - System i - IBM i
programmers technically cannot call themselves 'true' ILE programmers, since
they write most of their code in a single language - the ILE environment is
based on the premise that you can write your modules in any of the supported
ILE languages, and the ILE gives you the ability to bind it all together and
run it as a single bound program...

By the way, what you are doing is still considered ILE. Under the covers,
CRTBNDRPG creates a module then it binds it into a program...

- sjl


Jerry wrote:
Well, I use subprocedures but not modules and service programs (hard to
mix
into the 99% RPG II code I took over) with a named activation group (or
*Caller). I always thought of that as non-ILE. Personally I don't think
/free counts in the equation.

Geez, Barbara, which is it?!