Re: Converting *ENTRY & PLIST to free format

On 6/24/2013 6:11 PM, Jerry C. Adams wrote:

Just for the record, I've always included the EXTPGM on the PR simply because I use copybooks to retrieve them (per Mr. Tuohy).

My question, though, since the latest release on which I have worked is V5R4, is "Why would you want/need EXTPGM on the PI?" [If this question was asked/answered previously, I apologize, but I didn't see or understand it.]

You need EXTPGM on the prototype if you're _ever_ going to call the program from RPG. In that case, the prototype goes in a /copy file and gets copied into the program source itself, and into all the source that calls it.

So you're doing it right, by putting the prototypes in a /copy file with EXTPGM.

7.1: If you're _never_ going to use the prototype to call the program from RPG, then don't bother coding the prototype at all. Just code the PI without a name and without EXTPGM.

<= 6.1: If you're _never_ going to call the program from RPG, put the prototype in the program source, and you don't need the EXTPGM. But remember that if you don't code EXTPGM, the prototype name has to match the module. Without EXTPGM, you're technically coding a prototype for the main procedure, not for the program.

Examples of programs that will never be called by RPG:
- command processing programs
- exit point programs
- throwaway hacks for casual testing
- (possibly) programs only intended to be called by CL