Re: It's That Time Again! The 2002 RPG Enhancement Poll

["Raul A. Jager" <raul@xxxxxxxxxx>]

TESTD...

what about>

monitor;
    dateField = %date(numeric: }format);
on-error   xxx;
    etc....
______________________________________________________
Simon Coulter escribió:

> Hello Rob,
>
> You wrote:
> >Having IBM do the trivial sometimes comes up with some better idea's.
>
> Not always :)
>
> >For example, everyone had a set of date routines for dealing with
> >numeric numbers.  However I like the functionality of true date fields
> >much better.
>
> This is not a good example.  Dates, times and timestamps were implemented
> in the database therefore they become accessible to any data processor
> (Query, SQL, HLL, etc.) therefore it makes sense to provide built-in
> support for those data types.  (But look at how many systems **still**
> use numeric 'dates' thus requiring the language to support conversions
> when we should be using the native types.)
>
> What I object to is the seemingly endless requests for Toronto to provide
> trivial RPG IV specific functions whose sole purpose seems to be to
> provide a BIF to replace an op-code so free-form RPG looks better by
> avoiding the switches out of /free and in again.  Hence my comment that
> the proposed %TESTD, %TESTT, %TESTZ functions are a waste of Toronto's
> time and money because:
>
> D testDate      PR              1N
> D  aDate                       10
> D  aFormat                     10
>
> P testDate      B                       EXPORT
> D testDate      PI              1N
> D  theDate                     10
> D  theFormat                   10
>
> D validDate       S              1    INZ(*ON)
>
> C                   SELECT
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*YMD' )
> C     *YMD          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*MDY' )
> C     *MDY          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*DMY' )
> C     *DMY          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*CYMD' )
> C     *CYMD         TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*CMDY' )
> C     *CMDY         TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*CDMY' )
> C     *CDMY         TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*JUL' )
> C     *JUL          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*ISO' )
> C     *ISO          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*USA' )
> C     *USA          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*EUR' )
> C     *EUR          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = '*JIS' )
> C     *JIS          TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = $LONGJUL )
> C     *LONGJUL      TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   WHEN      ( theFormat = $JOBRUN )
> C     *JOBRUN       TEST(DE)                theDate
> C                   EVAL      validDate = NOT(%ERROR)
> C                   OTHER
> C                   EVAL      validDate = *OFF
> C                   ENDSL
>
> C                   RETURN    validDate
>
> P testDate      E
>
> took 15 minutes to code and verify with the reference manual and allows
> me to code:
>
> C               IF      testDate( birthDate )
> or
> C               IF      NOT(testDate( birthDate ))
> or
> C               EVAL    validDate = testDate( birthDate )
>
> Of course, if variables were allowed in Factor-1 for the TEST(x)
> functions it would be simpler still.  Wack that function in a service
> program, shove that in a binding directory, name the binding directory on
> a common H-spec that is /COPYed into the program template, and we have an
> instant new language extension.
>
> This example needs testing and possible additional support for *YYMD,
> *MDYY, *DMYY, etc.  Consider it open source; if someone creates the
> corresponding time and timestamp (really easy) functions we'll be done
> and Toronto can concentrate on complex things.  The same thing could have
> been done with the date duration BIFs and there are other examples such
> as ALLOC.
>
> Having said that, perhaps Toronto do have something grander in mind but
> that doesn't change the essence of my proposal which is to improve the
> LANGUAGE rather than the code.  If the language improves the code will
> too.  Toronto have given us the ability to extend the language via
> procedures so let us stop asking them to do the stuff we can do for
> ourselves.
>
> Regards,
> Simon Coulter.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------