Re: external data structure in free rpgle cant be use in DCL-PI ?

Good point Joe.

Of course one interesting approach that would provide a simple answer in this case (albeit a bit ugly) is simply to keep the fixed form *Entry Plist!

Don't even need /Free /End-Free any more - just do it.

Linoma's tool box is intelligent enough to spot the problem and leaves those C specs in place.

On Mar 6, 2020, at 12:32 AM, Joe Pluta <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Normally when I'm reading one of your posts, Jon, I find myself nodding in agreement. This is one of those rare other occasions. :)

Actually, I agree with your premise, but I completely understand Mónica's point. Having converted many programs from RPG III to RPG IV to RPG free, this is one of the most troublesome of the issues. In a large program I may have hundreds of lines of code that access the fields in an externally described data structure passed as a parameter. Because of how free works, I cannot define that parameter as an unqualified data structure which means that now I have to qualify the field name in every one of those lines.

It's a very specific issue, and one that has a workaround. Two, in fact, but one involves extra moves (especially problematic if you forget to move the field back at the end) and the other involves based pointers, a concept not always well known by the folks who maintain the current code base. It's just one of those nagging little things that can be a hiccup when trying to modernize, especially when you're helping your programmers modernize their skills at the same time.


On 3/5/2020 6:04 PM, Jon Paris wrote:

"and must be identical as what has been done for over 30 years by the company in fixed."

Why? In fact if you;'re going to just do the same old same old why bother to change to free?

Surely the whole point of changing is to get to use better methods. And the methods available in free-form are much better and more flexible. So why penalize yourself - it makes no sense.

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