RE: RPG - conversion vs re-write

[John Carr <74711.77@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date:   9/12/97  4:37 PM

RE:     RE: RPG - conversion vs re-write

Booth said;
>If  the indicator doesn't travel with the field then of what value is it?  I 
>mean, beyond the value of any other  indicator?   I am serious  -  is this a 
>real added value?  Additionally it evidentally doesn't tell us anything about 
>the field itself.  It doesn't tell us if the data is there, if it is valid, if 
>it is alpha, numeric, binary, or whatever.  

Yes, The Null flag is a separate field/Flag that must be interigated
separately. Can you still look at the contents of the Field?  Yep.

It's something like a "Yield" or "No Trespassing" sign.  It only works for 
those who read and want to obey it.


<SNIP>
> Frankly, my users don't care about built-in functions.  They care about 
>a decent looking report, with borders and stuff, just like their little
>dinky spreadsheet program. 

Real good point Booth,  I once worked on a program going against a MAPICS
data base to get lower level costs for a complicated bill of material.
This was on a SYS/38 using RRN's imbedded in the files,  I had to go Down
the Structure, then back Up and Across using Relative Record Processing.
Neat routine, took me a couple of weeks to get it right,  just to produce
a 1 page report with total costs.  The user "just" said "OK".  That was it.
No fanfare, NADA (I like that word, thanks Booth)

A month later I made a MINOR change (printing an existing variable in my
program on the report,  NO WORK AT ALL)  The user went crazy,  THIS IS
great.  What an improvement. This is tremendous. 

Go figure.  For some reason they were not impressed with a section of 
code that stood as an intra-department challange as the fewest lines 
of code to down and back up & across the BOM levels using MAPICS RRN's. 

As a rule of thumb, Users are as impressed with our gymnastics as a cat
would be.

BTW I'm sorry about the spelling.  I'm an RPG programmer. If I wanted to be 
an author I would have been a COBOL programer.

John

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