RE: "RPG isn't cool"

[Colin Williams <Williamsc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The examples thing I think is a great idea. 

There are many of us "techies" that actually take the time to play
around with new feature if it seems useful to us, 

but some people are afraid of the unknown, and won't do something unless
they have a good example!

-----Original Message-----
From: Buck Calabro [mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 1999 4:59 PM
To: 'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: "RPG isn't cool"


>eric wrote:
>> You can't teach something that student's don't want to learn (or
attend).
>>  "RPG isn't cool".
>>
>
>I'd be the last person to try to argue against that.  To
>illustrate, compare CGI programming in RPG versus Perl.
>
>Now, let's assume that being "cool" is a desirable
>quality in a programming language.  If we were to try to
>change RPG from an "uncool" language to a "cool" language,
>is there a single easy thing we could do to improve the
>language?
        
RPG IV *is* cool - sadly, nobody uses it!  You have no idea how many
people
rail against "switching" to "another language."  Invariably, it's from
people who fall into one or more of the following categories:
1. Never used RPG IV; have gut feeling that it is too hard to learn
2. Never used RPG IV; have heard rumours that it is too hard to learn.
3. Never used RPG IV; have fears that "old dogs" can't handle features
like
CALLP
4. Never used RPG IV; have poor self-esteem and thing they can't handle
fancy new concepts.
5. Never used RPG IV; RPG II/III/400 works just fine, thank you.

Is there another major programming market where the programmers cling so
fiercely to a clearly inferior language (RPG 400) when they've already
paid
for it's replacement (RPG IV?)  It's this attitude more than anything
else
that dooms "RPG" to it's status as "uncool."  You want a single easy
thing
to improve the language?  Officially announce the end of support for RPG
36, RPG III and RPG 400.  RPG IV can already do everything that it's
predecessors could do and so much more.  Get people to use what they've
already paid for   Give away GOOD examples of source code - write a new
manual that only has examples.  

Buck Calabro
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