RE: Adoption of new RPG techniques

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Bartell, Aaron L. (TC)
> 
> Now, RPG with /Free format; that is a huge revolution for RPG.
> It brings it up to the bar with what other languages have had for
> decades.  Have you done a lot of sub procedures, CGI, or XML
> programming in RPG?  If you do that in fixed format
> your code looks _a lot_ uglier.

C                   if        ReturnCode = -1                     
C                   Eval      pError = sys_errno                  
C                   eval      Error = %Str(sys_strerror(xwError)) 
C                   callp     SccErrText(Error)                   
C                   endif                                         

-becomes-

if ReturnCode = -1;
  pError = sys_errno;
  Error = %Str(sys_strerror(xwError));
  callp SccErrText(Error);      
endif;                    

What is so revolutionary?  The only difference is that I had to type
five extra semicolons and two less "evals", and I can see where the
endif belongs a little easier.  There is no change in the generated
code, no additional features, no added function.

Because it looks different is not a "revolution".

(The code above is part of my code for writing XML to the IFS, so yes, I
do a little bit of that, and yes, I write subprocedures.)


> I know I initially complained about the semicolons, but that is a very
> small price to pay for what we get with free format.

I again ask: what do you get?  Please list the five major benefits of
/free.


> <sarcasm>Why does a man who
> has "developed more and better business systems than you ever will"
(you
> being Aaron Bartell) have to have a syntax checker? </sarcasm>

Immediate syntax checking is a proven productivity enhancement, which is
why it is something "other languages have had for decades".  Removing it
is a really poor decision.


> <Joe>
> So, to try to force the majority of people to move to /free for what
is
> in effect no real value add is not progress.  It's change for change's
> sake, in my opinion.
> </Joe>
> 
> It is not just /Free that concerns me, it is the process of the lowest
> common denominator that bugs me.  They are just slowing down the
language.
> Just look at all the outsourcing to other machines we have had to do
> because RPG hasn't been up with the times.

You directly equated fixed format with lowest common denominator.  I
said it wasn't.  So now you say that RPG isn't "up with the times".
Okay, that's a different argument.  By that token, /free is also behind
the times, because /free doesn't add any major functionality to the
language.

And that is my point.

Joe