Re: CRTRPGSLQI says "specs out of order"

[Hans Boldt <boldt@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Simon Coulter wrote:
> P.S. Has anyone else noticed that /free is an oxymoron?  Free-form
> statements must be between column 8 and column 80, and columns 6 and 7 must
> be blank.  That doesn't sound like free-form to me.  The compiler directive
> should be /almost-free, or /not-quite-free, or /half-arsed-free, or
> /free-within-limits, or /free-but-read-the-fine-print.
>
> What's so special about column 6 and 7 in free form?
Simon:  You're right, it's still not totally free.  Blank in columns
6 and 7 indicates that we have a free-form spec.  This is not just
for the benefit of the compiler (which certainly could have accepted
a more liberal syntax).  It's also to help other tools, like the
SEU/CODE syntax checker and prompting, which would have had a harder
time handling a more liberal syntax.

One of our goals with the design was to allow upwards compatibility
in the future to a totally free syntax, not limited to columns 8-80.
For that long-term goal, we had to design some limitations now.
(But realistically, who knows if that will ever happen.)

Cheers!  Hans