Adoption of free format RPG 1

[MdnghtPgmr]

How many of you have adopted free format RPG?

<rant> I ask because I work in a shop with 7 other programmer/analyst. Of the 8 of us, only 2 of us use free format. What REALLY slays me is that the others are not even slightly interested. I hear things like, “I’m too old to learn that crap!” And the one I really love, “They should send us to classes if they want us to learn that.” Never mind their own résumés and career development. </rant>

So, what do you think?

MdnghtPgmr

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

In an environment such as that you really should stick to what standards you have set. In our small shop (now three programmers) we each work on our own applications but we have agreed that /free is okay and we will use it on new development. It really isn't hard to learn, but questions come up like what you may have seen in the forum about date and numbers and the lack of MOVE. After some time you will learn the new ways. Basically, it comes down to, push if you want, force if you want, but create a standard and stick with it.

iSeriesCodePoet
iSeries Programmer/Lawson Software Administrator

http://www.koldark.net

See my progress to converting to linux.

http://linux.koldark.net

 

[MdnghtPgmr]

Oh we do have standards and everyone has agreed that we can use free format. I just don't get why everyone is not jumping at the chance. It's been okay with management for some time now. They (management) saw the advantages immediately. It’s my fellow programmers that I don’t understand.

BTW, thanks for the reply.

MdnghtPgmr

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

Maybe if you do a presentation on it and show how to fix the main problems of converting from fixed to free, maybe they would be more open to change.

iSeriesCodePoet
iSeries Programmer/Lawson Software Administrator

http://www.koldark.net

See my progress to converting to linux.

http://linux.koldark.net

 

[MdnghtPgmr]

Been there, done that. That was management’s one stipulation, that I had to do the presentation. I took the information published by iSeries News and made a very nice (IMHO) presentation. It showed the new BIFs and all the op code that would no longer work and how to work around them. I am mystified…

MdnghtPgmr

 

[Skittle]

I have had a less extreme experience.

In my location I am the only member of th department of three programers that for the last five years has always lept at the chance to learn new stuff, be it on the AS400 or with Visual programming languages and basic networking knowledge.

I too have heard the line 'I'm to old to learn'.

Now the department is under threat due to centralised I.T. practices in our international organisation. Even within the sphere of the AS400 my colleagues between them have not bothered to learn SQL, RPG IV, RLU or SDA! In one case a programmer insists on writing fixed logic programs from RPG II days.

I on the other hand have tackled all of the above plus VB, Access, SQL Server, ASP a Network+ qualification and now I'm starting on XML. Guess who are terrified about there futures both inside and outside of the organisation?

My advice is let them do what they want. Their poor attitude may be bad for the department in the quality of the product but its a heck of a good thing for you.





Dazed and confused

 

[jmd0252]

Another idea,,, you have to realize that change, is accepted differently. Some people may want to change, and others are very opposed to it. It forces them out of their comfort zone, and forces them to look outside of their normal perceptions. And it will be a direct impact on their productivity while they are going thru the learning curve. Plus they probaly feel llike,,, now I have to go ask some "how to do szomething", I have always know,, and the programs may not compile, and they may have errors in the data. People get into a rythum, and comfort level,, and they don;t want chnage, no matter how better off they will be. It is a huge hurtle to overcome.

 

[flapeyre]

In our shop, we generally don't use /free, because many of our programs are in RPG III (the first program to be converted to IV got converted because it was over the 50-file limit).

While we do convert many of the III programs to IV, for others it's too time-consuming to do.

I have used /free in a couple of programs where there are complex expressions that would be too clumsy to write in fixed format.



"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for here you have been, and there you will always long to return."

--Leonardo da Vinci

 

[Mellard3]

I work in a remote office (in Atlanta, with the main office in Omaha, NE and another office in Phoenix), and as far as I know, there were only 3 of us that were using it throughout or Dept. We picked it up at last years iSeries DevCon in Vegas. One of us asked to use it, management adopted a "Don't encourage / don't discourage" stance. I started using it and my boss' supervisor went ape until we sent the e-mail showing they approved of it. But since then, the other 2 guys are no longer with the company[/red]. I was told that we'd be looking at using WSDCi's RSE to do our coding back in March, but nothing has been heard since then, so we'll still be back in the Dark Ages for a while

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

WDSc is great... but only once you are used to the quirks and stuff. I am an more effient programmer when I use it. As far a free format, I think we are pretty much doing all new development in /free. I love it and hate it when I have to switch back. Nested ifs are the worst for me... in /free, it is easy to see what endif goes where.

iSeriesCodePoet
iSeries Programmer/Lawson Software Administrator

http://www.koldark.net

See my progress to converting to linux.

http://linux.koldark.net

 

[arrow483]

We have a shop with 5 programmers. 3 are still using RPG-III, the other 2 are using RPG-IV. I'm the only one to even experiment with free-form, and I will say I'm not completely sold on it (yet). The IF's are easier to read, and some things, like CHAIN and UPDATE have obvious advantages. But I'm still faster with fixed, and its going to take a while to remember that darn ; and get it in the right places. I think I will like it better when the lpex editor catches up to CODE - lpex does do some helpful prompting. CODE handles free-form, but doesn't have any interactive prompting. I suppose once I get used to the syntax ...

I have experimented also with CODE's "convert to free-form" automatic process. I think its a great learning tool!

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

/free has some learning curve, especially if you like to use MOVE. But once you get past that, it comes naturally. If you have never touched another lanuage, it is harder. If you have done some C, C++, Java, or something like that, it is easier. Mostly, it come down to personal preference...

They still program new programs in RPG III?? Or just modify existing programs?

iSeriesCodePoet
iSeries Programmer/Lawson Software Administrator

http://www.koldark.net

See my progress to converting to linux.

http://linux.koldark.net

 

[arrow483]

We're a Mapics shop, so most file maint is still in RPG-III. If you've ever seen Mapics, you know what we're dealing with. In answer to your question, though, they have adopted RPG-IV as a legitimate "standard", but - no, they still pgm new stuff in RPG-III also. I'm newer here, and haven't used SEU, either, for ages. I am still trying to get them to try CODE (or at least LPEX). Sometimes, change comes (very) slowly.

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

I fully understand from many comments I have heard on the Midrange.com mailing lists. Some embrace change, others ward it off as long as they can.

iSeriesCodePoet
iSeries Programmer/Lawson Software Administrator

http://www.koldark.net

See my progress to converting to linux.

http://linux.koldark.net