Re: [V4, positional]: Converting decimal to string without leading zeros

On Wed, Jun 9, 2021 at 5:53 PM Patrik Schindler <poc@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I am shuddering. The idea that anyone would write fixed-form code using indicators in this day and age (or even any time in the last 15+ years) is beyond my comprehension I'm afraid.

I know. :-) I don't expect you to understand: You're doing that for for a living and newer things usually mean less programming effort.

For a hobbyist to want to restrict themselves to that format - I'm just gobsmacked to use a good old English expression. Why ... oh why do you limit yourself so?

First, I don't feel limited. :-)

Second, there's a certain beauty to me in having a rigid format to follow.

While I can appreciate the fun of sticking to artificial constraints,
I am simply a bit confused about *which* constraints you are adhering
to.

If you find it acceptable to use %CHAR, then how is it not acceptable
to use %EOF or %FOUND, for example?

In the end, your fun is your fun, and it's certainly your prerogative
to draw the lines wherever you want.

These might require a lot of static strings in the code, and *that* is truly PITA in positional RPG.

If you're allowing yourself %CHAR, then you must be using Extended
Factor 2. Once you get that, strings are vastly less painful. Both
because you have significantly more room, plus continuations; but also
because you then have access to a bunch of handy (by RPG standards)
BIFs. (And note that even if *you* personally are refusing to use some
quirky, arbitrary set of features, like BIFs or continuation lines,
the statement I'm quoting is "static strings [are] truly PITA in
positional RPG". And my contention is: well, if "positional RPG"
includes Extended Factor 2, then positional RPG also includes BIFs and
continuation lines, and if you have all of those things, then static
strings are not really all THAT painful.)

And, last, coding in old style means, what I code should more or less compile on all OS/400 releases supporting ILE.

If the OS release supports ILE, then it supports quite a lot of BIFs,
including %EOF and %FOUND. I get that some of the current BIFs
appeared later, and I understand if you want to avoid those.

John Y.