Re: HTML and PDF Reports

["Peter Dow (ML)" <maillist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi David,

This brings up the question of how often do you need to debug the 
generated code?  RPG is a code generator, but I don't look at the W-code 
or whatever it produces very often, much less debug it.  If there are 
problems with the generated code, isn't that somewhat of a problem with 
the generator/language?

*Peter Dow* /
Dow Software Services, Inc.
909 793-9050
pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> /

David Gibbs wrote:
> Joe Pluta wrote:
>   
> > This is an argument you're going to have to decide for yourself.  The 
> > program generates both Java code and JSF, so it's eminently debuggable.  
> >     
>
> Maybe true ... but being able to debug the code is just the first part 
> of solving a problem ... you have to UNDERSTAND the code that you are 
> debugging.
>
>   
> > There's also an EGL-level debugger.  
> >     
>
> I was not aware of that.  I would have to see how the debugger works to 
> make a final judgment.
>
>   
> > You're not basing this on using the tool, just on... what?  Your 
> > experience with other tools?
> >     
>
> In general, yes.  But my point is: If you write in EGL (or any code 
> generator), and all don't understand the code that is being generated, 
> solving problems in the code is going to be difficult at best ... 
> impossible at worst.
>
>   
> > EGL emits JSF and Java and JavaScript.  It's ugly, sure, but it's 
> > debuggable.  
> >     
>
> Ugly code is hard to debug.  Programs that are hard to debug are 
> expensive to maintain even if they were cheap to write.
>
>   
> > If you haven't actually used EGL, then your arguments are 
> > theoretical.
> >     
>
> Granted.  I am making generalizations.
>
> david
>
>