RE: Is this the simplest way to define corresponding arrays in D-specs -- RPG400-L

Jon summarizes my take on it. If all of the other data in the program
(standalone fields, constants, data structure subfields) can be INZ'd on a
D-spec, why would I want to do something else for an array?

Most of the suggestions seem to be to initialize the values in strings and
use the overlay technique. Since that seems to be the most widely offered
suggestion, I would take that to be the current "best practice".

The applicaiton that I'm using has a known, finite, practically guaranteed
set of values that won't change ('footer', 'header' in my example, another
is 'top', 'bottom', 'left', 'right'). For simple data like that, I want it
hard-coded into the D-specs, no need to load it from a database.

I hoped that something like the following would have been possible
(apologize in advance if the formatting is thrown off, it lined up when I
typed it in).

D Array1 1 dim(4) inz('fFhH')
D Array2 6 dim(4) inz('footer+
D footer+
D header+
D header')

Thanks for all of the suggestions and follow-up.

Craig Pelkie

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Is this the simplest way to define corresponding arrays in
D-specs
From: Jon Paris <[1]jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, August 08, 2013 10:31 am
To: "RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries)"
<[2]rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Simple answer Rory.

Quick scenario.

I am reviewing a large program.
I encounter a piece of code that uses an array.
Need to see how the array is defined so I go the D specs.
Find that it is a compile time array and have to go to the other end of
the universe (sorry - source) to find the definition.
Annoying and non-productive.

Admittedly since I use RDi all the time now it is not as ugly as having
to wade through a 5,000 line source in SEU but you get the point. Even
in RDI because of the 3 different locations I can't use the quick
bookmark to get there and back.

If the data items are lengthy then I would rather they be in a database
and loaded from that.

I confess that I would not personally use most of the D-spec versions
shown because I would rather have each value on a separate line for
clarity. Or at least if the data were of the form Code Letter + Long
Name version (e.g. HHeader, FFooter, etc. I would actually "waste" a
character so that I could code them as H-Header, F-Footer, etc. But
that's just me and I'd have done the same thing with compile time data
back in the day when I was forced to use it.

On 2013-08-08, at 12:13 PM, Rory Hewitt <[3]rory.hewitt@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Trevor, Perhaps it's because he wants to put it in a copybook?
>
> Jon, frankly, I'm not sure why you consider any of the methods
discussed
> earlier any 'better' than Michael's compile-time array - they *all*
involve
> hard-coding data into the program source, in one way or another.
Michael's
> method is certainly the easiest where one is talking about longer
strings
> of data (which *can* be specified in the D-specs, but it's ugly).
Plus, at
> least with a compile-time array, the data strings are all in one
place, at
> the bottom of the source, rather than dotted about the D-specs or
(gasp!)
> hidden in a separate copybook (OK, that was *my* idea :))
>
> Rory
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 5:31 AM, Briggs, Trevor (TBriggs2) <
> [4]TBriggs2@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> The OP did say he wanted to do everything in D-specs (although he
didn't
>> specify why).
>>
>> Trevor Briggs
>> Analyst/Programmer
>> Lincare, Inc.
>> (727) 431-1246
>> [5]TBriggs2@xxxxxxxxxxx
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [6]rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [[7]mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael
Schutte
>> Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2013 8:21 AM
>> To: RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries)
>> Subject: Re: Is this the simplest way to define corresponding arrays
in
>> D-specs
>>
>>
>> D Array DS 7 CTDATA PERRCD(1) DIM(4)
>> D SubSet1 1 OverLay(Array)
>> D SubSet2 6 Overlay(Array:*NEXT)
>>
>>
>> **
>> hheader
>> HHEADER
>> ffooter
>> FFOOTER
>>
>>
>>
>> Or...
>>
>> D Subset1 Ds 1 CTDATA PERRCD(4) DIM4)
>> D Subset2 Ds 6 CTDATA PERRCD(1) DIM4)
>>
>>
>> **
>> hHfF
>> **
>> header
>> HEADER
>> footer
>> FOOTER
>>
>> Sometimes, things are just over thought...
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 7, 2013 at 6:07 PM, Rory Hewitt
<[8]rory.hewitt@xxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> As a slight alternative, how about this:
>>>
>>> D ds
>>> D ARRAYS 28
>> inz('hheaderHHEADERffooterFFOOTER')
>>> D ARRAY dim(4) Overlay(ARRAYS)
>>> D ARRAYA 1 overlay(ARRAY)
>>> D ARRAYB 6 overlay(ARRAY:*next)
>>>
>>> Basically the same thing, but it intersperses the 1-char lookup
values
>> with
>>> the 6-char return values.
>>>
>>> This also allows slightly easier-to-view formatting of the ARRAYS
>> string,
>>> to show each ARRAY element on its own line:
>>>
>>> D ARRAYS 28 inz('hheader+
>>> D HHEADER+
>>> D ffooter
>>> D FFOOTER')
>>>
>>> Rory
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 7, 2013 at 1:14 PM, Booth Martin <[9]booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Is this responsive to your request?
>>>>
>>>> D ds
>>>> D ARRAYS 28
>> inz('hHfFheaderHEADERfooterFOOTER')
>>>> D ARRAYA 1 dim(4) overlay(ARRAYS)
>>>> D ARRAYB 6 dim(4) overlay(ARRAYS: *next)
>>>>
>>>> The simplest way seemed to me to be using an ALT array, but that
can
>> not
>>>> be done entirely inside the D-specs; leastways, I couldn't do it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> This is the RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries)
>> (RPG400-L)
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Rory Hewitt
>>>
>>> [14]http://www.linkedin.com/in/roryhewitt
>>> --
>>> This is the RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries)
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>
>
> --
> Rory Hewitt
>
> [28]http://www.linkedin.com/in/roryhewitt
> --
> This is the RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries)
(RPG400-L) mailing list
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Jon Paris

[33]www.partner400.com
[34]www.SystemiDeveloper.com

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