Re: Reasons for using RPGIV

[Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 12, 2011, at 6:48 PM, rpg400-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> > I am involved in a philosophical argument with one of the lead developers
> > in
> > the JDE/Oracle V5R4 shop where I have been working as a consultant for the
> > last five years.

Frankly I doubt if anyone that blind to the obvious will be persuaded even by 50 valid points let alone 5 but...

One can also posit the negative argument. e.g. Would she insist that a VB programmer restrict themselves to the facilities of VB4? That's what she's doing by saying that RPG IV can't be used. RPG IV came out _before_ VB4. 

Other reasons:

1) Local variables - essential in any modern programming environment. There's a reason every programming language (except RPG/400) has them.

2) Expressions - logical, arithmetic and character

3) Subprocedures - the basic application building block - again - there's a good reason all other languages have them.

4) Built-in functions. Some 90 odd labor saving devices at the last count.

5) Date and time arithmetic

6) Long variable names

7) Multi-dimensional arrays - even the simplest Excel spreadsheet is a two dimensional array. But RPG/400 can't do them.

8) Define your own data types (TEMPLATE)

9) XML processing built-in

And on and on and on and ...


Jon Paris