Re: RLU

["Simon Coulter" <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Œ
Hello Rob,

Well, I still hate it!  It doesn't appear to have changed much since its 
release.  I think 
if you've never written printer files with DDS you might get to like it (or at 
least be 
proficient with it).  I prefer to use a printer spacing chart when I have to 
create 
reports -- but then I don't spend my life doing that sort of crap, I'm doing 
MUCH more 
interesting things!  The only part of RLU that I find useful is printing the 
layout.

One of the hardest parts of the teaching I do is to explain RLU to students 
when I think 
the tool is junk.

Another reason in favour of DDS -- you specify the starting position of output 
rather than 
the ending position (now there's an example of making things easier for the 
compiler 
writer rather than the user).

The story of why it has such an appalling interface (I think it's schizoid -- 
doesn't know 
whether it's SEU or SDA) has to to with a 3rd-party product already mentioned 
here.  The 
RLU designers feeling was that IBM might get sued for look-and-feel 
infringments if they 
made their version work like SDA.  No-one seemed to realise that SDA is an IBM 
design and 
if anyone were guilty of such an infringement it would be the 3rd-party.  Also 
the 
possible consequences of killing the competition by providing a free 
alternative to a 
3rd-party product ("free" in the sense that it would come with ADTS which 
people buy to 
get PDM, SEU, and SDA).

Regards,
Simon Coulter.

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//--- forwarded letter -------------------------------------------------------
> X-Mailer: Worldtalk (NetTalk for Windows NT 4.5-g5)/MIME
> Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 11:49:49 -0500
> From: "Rob Berendt" <rob@dekko.com>
> To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
> Reply-To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
> Subject: RLU

> 
> Of all of those who think/thought that RLU stands for Really Lousy Utility, 
>(like me), 
has anyone changed their mind after having used it 
> ***recently***
> ***recently***
> ***recently***?  I haven't used it recently and was so disgusted earlier I 
>wanted to see 
if it's winning converts before I tried it again.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> dbryant@banpharm.com on 04/12/2000 11:29:14 AM
> Please respond to RPG400-L@midrange.com@Internet
> To:   RPG400-L@midrange.com@Internet
> cc:    
> Fax to:       
> Subject:      Re: external *PRTF (was: RE: 'ILE RPG' or 'RPG IV' . What's the 
>diffe
        rence!!!)
> 
> 
> 
> Have you used RLU lately?  It is absolutely GREAT!!  O specs (ugly), might as
> well be an RPG-II program.
> With RLU, no worries about end positions, page overflow, line spacing or even
> knowing the field lengths. With RLU, you can quickly center a field. You can 
>use
> the REFER option for RLU to get the field attributes for you. You can copy, 
>move
> and delete fields with a quick function key sequence. Even highlight fields 
>and
> underline (you can even use indicators to control the different functions
> available). But most of all I love the fact that RLU will output your TODAYS
> date and time, and the page number with NO RPG coding at all.   Also you can
> print a "Sample" prototype report to see how your report looks on paper.
> RLU is cool!!!
> 
> IMHO.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> |--------+----------------------->
> |        |          "Jim"        |
> |        |          <jcannon@anti|
> |        |          gua.com>     |
> |        |                       |
> |        |          04/10/2000   |
> |        |          01:36 PM     |
Π|        |          Please       |
> |        |          respond to   |
> |        |          RPG400-L     |
> |        |                       |
> |--------+----------------------->
>   >--------------------------------------------------------|
>   |                                                        |
>   |       To:     RPG400-L@midrange.com                    |
>   |       cc:     (bcc: Darlene H Bryant/Banpharm)         |
>   |       Subject:     Re: external *PRTF (was: RE: 'ILE   |
>   |       RPG' or 'RPG IV' . What's the diffe   rence!!!)  |
>   >--------------------------------------------------------|
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> very well said! I agree!
> 
> From:               "Bale, Dan" <DBale@lear.com>
> To:                 "'RPG400-L@midrange.com'" <RPG400-L@midrange.com>
> Subject:            external *PRTF (was: RE: 'ILE RPG' or 'RPG IV' . What's 
>the
> diffe
>      rence!!!)
> Date sent:          Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:35:02 -0400
> Send reply to:      RPG400-L@midrange.com
> 
> Really don't mean to start a holy war here <g>, but...  IMNSHO:
> 
> External printer files - BLEAAHHH!  If it's used in only one program, which
> is the case for 99.95% of all printer files I've ever come across, then keep
> it in the RPG source!
> 
> Granted, had IBM's braindead RLU been something closer to what RDA (by
> BugBusters???) is, then I might have formed a different opinion ten years
> ago.  Then again, since RDA allows you to choose between creating printer
> DDS specs or RPG O-specs, who knows?  There's really not a whole lot you can
> do in DDS that can't be done in RPG O-specs for _most_ printer output.
> 
> Honestly, though, it really isn't an "ease of design / development" issue
> with me.  For me, it's an "ease of maintenance" issue, since I do much more
> maintenance than new development.
> Internal: One source member. External: Two source members.
> Internal: No confusing where the printer file source is; it's right there.
> External: Ever been in a JBA shop? 'nuf said.
> Internal: One edit session, one compile.  External: Two edit sessions, two
> compiles.
> Internal: When RPG compile error occurs, you just need to look for errors in
> the RPG source.  External:  When RPG compile error occurs, you need to check
> the RPG compile listing, oops - not there, now go check the printer file
> DDS, make corrections, recompile DDS, recompile RPG.
> 
> All that said, I always follow the shop standards.  I can do printer specs
> either way.
> 
> Jon, please indicate why you think "it is just better and safer to describe
> these things externally."
> 
> - Dan Bale
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:   Jon.Paris@halinfo.it [SMTP:Jon.Paris@halinfo.it]
> > Sent:   Saturday, April 08, 2000 9:08 AM
> > To:     RPG400-L@midrange.com
> > Subject:     Re: 'ILE RPG' or 'RPG IV' . What's the difference!!!
> >
> > PS. I don't think printer files have _anything_ to do with using them in
> > multiple places any more that display files do - it is just better and
> > safer to
> > describe these things externally.
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