Re: New to RPG

[Michael Ryan <michaelrtr@xxxxxxxxx>]

Don't use the cycle. Use the techniques you've already learned. Work with
service programs and procedures. The cycle was great when interfaces were
cards and printers. You have much better tools at your disposal.

On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 12:38 PM, James H. H. Lampert <
jamesl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> The only thing I can think of to add is this:
>
> DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAKE A RIDE ON "THE CYCLE."
>
> Because of RPG's history (it's name means "Report Program Generator"),
> it's designed to process entire files, and as such, every RPG program
> (unless, in the more recent versions of RPG, you explicitly disable it)
> runs inside an implicit "DO UNTIL *INLR = TRUE" loop, and if you designate
> a file as the "Primary File," each iteration of that implicit do-loop
> begins with a read operation on that file, raising the "LR" indicator when
> the last record of the file is read.
>
> If you designate a Primary File, then The Cycle allows you to "ride"
> through the file, processing each record in sequence, instead of having to
> "walk" through it.
>
> And if you don't designate a Primary File, then The Cycle can be used as a
> built-in event loop for an interactive program: all you need to do is raise
> the LR indicator whenever the user is ready to exit.
>
> If you don't have a use for The Cycle in a given program, then you need to
> either disable it explicitly, or else make sure LR gets raised.
>
> WHAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO IS IGNORE "THE CYCLE." If you ignore The Cycle,
> it will run over you.
>
> --
> JHHL
> --
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