RE: DIM question (Was MOVE/MOVEL and %Scan)

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Nicolay, Paul
>
> Funny, that just these instructions that make RPG by far the best
> language,
> are replaced by something, ie. SQL (the hype that it MUST be SQL seems to
> have passed a bit at least), that can be quite cumbersome to code as clean
> as native IO.
>
> Not that SQL is bad (on the contrary), but for trivial things like writing
> or reading a single record is native IO still much easier.  It just proves
> that the right tool for the right job is not always true !

I can't agree more, Paul.  SQL has its place, but native I/O is simply the
easiest for many of the tasks that business applications require.  It's got
nothing to do with my particular tastes; I've tried doing the same things in
other languages, and it's just easier to do in RPG.  Most importantly, it's
easy to change the program when the client's business needs change.  I can
see exactly what the instructions are doing, as opposed to having to try and
parse through the syntax of a multi-file SQL UPDATE statement.  I don't need
a doctorate in CompSci to understand a SETLL/READE loop.


> Hype is still an important fact in IT !

And those of use who have the experience to be able to compare the various
languages are looked down upon as dinosaurs, hopelessly behind the times
<grin>.  Hopefully, though, common sense will win out in this battle and IBM
will keep the core capabilities of RPG intact.

Joe