RE: Defining Files locally in Sub-Procedures - What advantages has everyone found doing it that way?

Hi Andy,

We've used local files here and there. At our shop we define most of our variables "LIKE" a field from a file. So in moving a file to a subprocedure b/c that's the only logic that will ever use the file directly, to get out field definitions to still be "LIKE" the file's fields, we create a template qualified data structure pointing to the file.

I like having a file defined within a procedure if only that procedure uses the file. Commonly used when a file is being loaded into an array. Overall I think this functionality is neat... as noted above, if I define the file locally, I almost always end up needing a template of the file for global use.

Anyway, if you're moving from v5r4 to 7.1, here are some articles that may interest you:

6.1
http://www.mcpressonline.com/programming/rpg/v6r1-sql-ile-rpg-precompiler-enhancements.html
http://www.mcpressonline.com/programming/rpg/v6r1-rpg-enhancements.html

7.1
http://www.iprodeveloper.com/article/rpg-programming/rpg-iv-at-ibm-i-71-65079
http://www.mcpressonline.com/programming/rpg/ibm-i-71-first-looks-rpg.html
http://www.iprodeveloper.com/article/rpg-programming/a-quick-tour-of-the-new-rpg-features-in-ibm-i-71-65117

Kurt Anderson
Sr. Programmer/Analyst
CustomCall Data Systems, a division of Enghouse Ltd.