Re: Adoption of new RPG techniques

[James Rich <james@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

rick.baird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> none of the things you mention have anything to do with the difference
> between fixed and free.
>
>
> > mydatastruct.myfield
>
>
> I would never use such a thing in factor 1, nor would I ever need to.  In
> fact, I can't think of the last time I used anything but a keylist or a
> reserved word in factor 1.

So why have a factor 1 if you never use it?

> > Though not really due to fixed format but related, some bifs could
> > benefit to a similar relaxing of format, like %editc.  It might be nice
> > to have user selected editing via a method like:
> > characterfield = %editc(numericfield:get_user_edit_pref(parm))
>
>
> the ability to use multiple lines on extended factor 2 negates this
> advantage.
> I personally like to separate my extended factor 2 bifs and subproc calls
> to more than one line:
>
> c           eval      characterfield =
> c                        %editc(numericfield:
> c                        get_user_edit_pref(parm))

To me this looks very free format-ish.  So much so that I don't see 
anything that argues in favor of fixed format - indeed this seems to 
imply you are in favor of free format!  In fact, take off the eval and 
the c's and you have written the same thing I did with breaks.

In any case on this particular example I wasn't directly speaking to the 
free/fixed debate, but rather stating that it would be nice to allow 
functions as arguments to some bifs.  Now I'm nervous that someone will 
point out that that too is possible.

> I'm with Joe on this one.  My experience makes /free harder to follow than
> fixed.  I don't have a particular problem with free format languages, but
> my bread and butter is rpg, and I can write very readable code using it.  I
> just don't see any advantage to switching.  Like he said, it's just change
> for change sake.

And I'm pointing out that it is the freedom of the extended factor 2 
that you like, not the rigidity of fixed format.

James Rich