Re: RPG ILE Problems (Activation Groups)

[Buck <kc2hiz@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 3/3/2011 11:01 AM, Ken Sims wrote:

> On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:28:50 -0500, Buck <kc2hiz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > There is a wrong way though.  Compiling your ILE programs
> > actgrp(*caller) and then calling them from the default activation group
> > will lead to problems.  I strongly advise against this.
>
> We have lots of that, including ALL of our service programs are
> *CALLER, and some get called from *CALLER programs running in the
> default activation group.  *PGMs are all either *NEW or *CALLER.  We
> don't use named activation groups at all.
>
> There's no problem with any of it as long as you understand the
> implications.  Personally I haven't found any issues for *PGMs.
>
> There are implications for *SRVPGMs but they are easy enough to deal
> with, especially if you absolutely forbid the use of RCLRSC in
> production code.

Truth.

I /should/ have said that there is a wrong way /for ILE beginners/.

The main implications for *PGMs aren't necessarily in production, but in
development.  Something goes awry, the programmer doesn't understand
what or how and the shop rule quickly becomes 'sign off and on and it
fixes itself'.  I don't believe that in general, this is the fastest
path to becoming knowledgeable.

ILE is very flexible in order to support very complex run time
environments.  To an expert, that flexibility looks like a glittering
array of surgeon's tools, each one custom made to excel at a particular
task.  When combined, they allow masterful work to be accomplished.  To
a beginner, that flexibility looks like a glittering array of surgeon's
tools, each one causing a new kind of pain when grasped.

For a beginner, there is no 'best', as much as there is 'less pain'.
It's a good conversation to have.
  --buck