Re: Using long names

My question. Why are people still using file I/O instead of SQL? Have been
using SQL for at least 10 years, probably closer to 15.

I understand maintenance. It may make more sense to use File I/O in an
existing program but beyond that?

On Thu, Jul 25, 2019 at 12:42 PM Alan Shore via RPG400-L <
rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi
The qualified keyword on an Fspec also qualifies the columns (fields)
Here is an example of how I use it

dcl-f Ordhdrl0 disk(*ext) usage(*input) keyed
prefix('HDR.');

dcl-ds HDR Extname('ORDHDRL0') qualified end-ds;

chain (Azdyy:
Azdmmdd:
Azdxxx:
Azdordnum) Ordhdrl0;
if not %found(Ordhdrl0);
HDR.Source = 'AMAZON??'; //<--------Column or field in the
QUALIFIED data structure
endif;

Alan Shore
E-mail : ASHORE@xxxxxxxx
Phone [O] : (631) 200-5019
Phone [C] : (631) 880-8640
'If you're going through hell, keep going.'
Winston Churchill


-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Rob Berendt
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2019 2:48 PM
To: RPG programming on IBM i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: Using long names

<snip>
As noted, you can get around that with prefixes. I also like qualified
data structures (I like them a lot, but hey, I like Java too).
</snip>
I wonder why the QUALIFIED keyword on an Fspec only qualifies the record
id's and not the columns. I guess maybe they figured they already have
that with PREFIX.

Rob Berendt
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-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Joe
Pluta
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2019 2:29 PM
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Using long names

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A lot of times, I find something like this to be the result of not quite
following a standard.

For example, a true standard is that every field with the same name has
the same data. While we can argue about whether ITEMDESC and CUSTDESC
should just be DESCRIPTION, but let's assume that fields are supposed to be
the same. Well, if that's the case then CUSTOMER can be the customer
number in every file in the database, and in face related records should
have the same value. But you have to code that way, making sure to only
deal with related records. The first time you grab a different record, you
have issues.

As noted, you can get around that with prefixes. I also like qualified
data structures (I like them a lot, but hey, I like Java too).

It's similar to the folks who use a unique, system-generated number as the
actual key for every file. This in theory is freaking awesome, because you
can change customer number and every related record will change with it.
But it takes a bit more work whenever you're trying to join files together
in queries. So often the customer number is attached to a file somewhere
and it doesn't get fixed.



On 7/25/2019 1:00 PM, Rob Berendt wrote:

Well, thank you.

I despise naming short names with a file prefix. For examples
IIMITEMNO IIMDESC IIMQTY And another file with ECLITMDESC

This makes it impossible to query the system catalog to find the tables

containing item_description.

Hasn't anyone cracked open a RPG manual to find that if you just have to

prefix you can use the PREFIX keyword on the file spec? Why tie up
precious real estate of short 10 character names with a prefix?

I used vendor software which didn't even prefix their fields in their

tables. This was even pre ILE and they had to exhaustively rename in their
programs.

Rob Berendt

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