RE: Resistance to change (was free format question)

["Jon Paris" <Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 >> What I DO resist, and resist vigorously, is the
 >> practice of evolving a language to where it has
 >> lost all the defining characteristics of the one
 >> it evolved from, but continuing to call it what
 >> it no longer is.

Sorry but you completely "lost" me with this argument.

Name _one_ of the characteristics that you consider to define RPG that has
been removed from RPG IV.  Unless you count the FREE op-code there is not a
single one.  Nada, rien, nothing!

You want to code to the cycle in RPG IV - go ahead.  You want to use
conditioning indicators (shudder) - go ahead.  Nothing has been taken away.

But much has been added which many of us appreciate.

Did you feel this way when they added EXFMT and externally described files
as we moved from RPG II to RPG III ?  Surely they were every bit as radical
in their day as BIFS and /Free.

Jon Paris
Partner400

www.Partner400.com
www.RPGWorld.com