Re: Newbie wants to install WDSc and/or Code400 at home...

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        Can anyone make recommendations, share warnings/gotchas?
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1. WDSC still does not have a crash recovery feature like SEU and CODE
do, so save your work often (much more when you are making a lot of
changes quickly).  I had it crash yesterday, even though I was not using
RSE at the time. I have been in mass editing sessions (i.e., building a
several subfile maintenance programs that are basically the same but for
different files (up to 6 to 10 edit members open at one time)). 

2. Do not use the Verifier or outline unless you are prepared to wait.
You can get just as good of information using compiles and Shift+F10 |
Filter View

3. There are times when a feature just quits working and the only way to
getting it going again is to restart the whole IDE.  Specifically, I
have seen the syntax checker and the case converter stop working with
error (editing right in RSE) (I have not reported these since I can get
around them). 

4. The outline does not seem to work right when editing in an iSeries
Project.  All my sub-procedure definitions are marked as **UNDEF**. 

All of the above may be contradicted by someone else.  There seems to be
some that have no problems like I have mentioned. 


Unless you have a pressing need to work not connected to your corporate
network, use RSE over iSeries Projects (IMHO).  Verifying and outlines
work better or at all in RSE.

iSeries Projects give you the ability to disconnect from the network at
your work and be on the go or work from home.  Think I read Jon Paris
does this quite a lot.  To use iSeries Projects, start in RSE, select
the member(s) you want to work offline with, right-click, select "Add to
iSeries Project"  or "Make available offline".  Both seem to work
exactly the same in V6.0 (to me).   If you have more than one project it
will ask you which one to use.

If you use a CMS from Aldon or Soft landing, get their plug-ins.  I Use
Aldon's plug-in (you might need to call tech support to get for V6.0, I
did) and it work great for organizing and compiling multiple members.  I
also got the Soft landing spool file plug-in (a better, more simplified
way to view spool reports).

When you install, install the code tools.  This has the Code Designer
(SDA in GUI) and is a very wonderful tool.  You will wish you had this
long ago (especially if you have to bring old screens up to some new
presentation standards).  At least when Code Designer crashes it lets
you pick up nearly where you left off, if you did not save manually.
And if you use Code Designer, remember to set up the communications
daemon correctly.

And last but not least, update, update, update.  Some of the updates are
very huge and you can get them from the IBM FTP site,
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/software/rationalsdp/rwd/60/zips/.  The
updater will let you know if you can get then via FTP otherwise just
left the updater download.   Updates take much longer to run in V6.0
than V5.x.  

Don't forget the archives and FAQ's when you run into problems, more
than likely someone has already found that problem.


In the end I feel like I am a glutton for punishment since I always seem
to go back to WDSC only to have it bit me at a critical time.  This may
not be the case for you.  I just need to get into the habit of saving
every 15 seconds or so. 

Thank you,
Matt Tyler
WinCo Foods, LLC
mattt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx