Re: [Bulk] Re: Service Program or Stand Alone

Hi Mark,
Thank you for the advice.
In the case that I am considering (not likely to be approved, but just
getting some idea), we have a system that has hundreds of programs calling
"black box programs" to do specific a specific function. That function
might be complex like computing a price for an item being sold, to
something simple like converting a date. The date conversion routine is
not just a simple convert from a known format to ISO or back, but
converting from a job format to another and back.
Now that I am creating custom applications for customers using our package,
rather than creating prototypes to call these programs, I am thinking of
trying to convert them to service programs.
Since there is a very large number of programs using the old version, I was
thinking of using the "stub" method to get around this.



Jeff Young
Sr. Programmer Analyst


On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 4:13 AM, Mark S Waterbury <
mark.s.waterbury@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi, Jeff:

I would like to add the following thoughts ...

1. before creating any new "stub" *PGM that calls the corresponding new
*SRVPGM procedure, run a FNDSTRPDM to determine how many places
actually CALL the original *PGM
2. if that number is not "too large," I would just go ahead and change
the CALLs to just invoke the new procedure directly, and thus
dispense with having to create one more "stub" *PGM that needs to be
maintained (and eventually eliminated)
3. how many is "too many" may vary, depending on project workload and
how much time you have available for such "maintenance" work
4. I would only want to create a "stub" *PGM to call the procedure in
the *SRVPGM for cases where that original program is called in a
large number of programs -- too many to conveniently change them all
"in one go" ...
5. and then, in these cases, I would subsequently start working towards
reducing the number of programs that call this "stub" program,
replacing with the new procedure call, gradually, as time permits.
The long-term goal should be to eventually eliminate all such "stub"
programs

I hope this "makes sense" ...

Mark S. Waterbury

On 7/21/2014 12:17 PM, Jeff Young wrote:

To everyone that responded, thanks.
As I indicated, this is something I am researching for my own benefit.
I had originally thought along the lines of changing the "OLDPGM" to
"NEWSRVPGM" and creating a new "OLDPGM" with the original parms and logic
to call procedures in the service program.

It is nice to know that most of the community appears to confirm that *if*
something like this is done (change OLDPGM to NEWSRVPGM) that the above
would be the best method to use.

I will not be changing anything for the sake of change, but if I do need
to
add significant new code and/or function, I will keep this in mind.


Jeff Young
Sr. Programmer Analyst

--

This is the RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries) (RPG400-L)
mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.