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My ideas: Languages - RPG

Showing 97

New *EMPTY constant

Follow-up on https://ideas.ibm.com/ideas/IBMI-I-4107. Instead of using *blank / *blanks, when one wants to return an empty string from a function, instead of writing: return ''; One could write: return *empty;
21 days ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 1 Future consideration

In DATA-GEN, allow array count to be specified using a suffix in addition to prefix

We are using both the DATA-GEN operation and providing IWS web service using the same data structures. Unfortunately, the nomenclature to specify an array length for the two systems are opposite. IWS uses array_LENGTH to indicate array length and ...
3 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 1 Future consideration

Better error handling with record locking done in a procedure

Using procedures is far more beneficial than subroutines. There is a catch though that record locks are not handled well in procedures. Example 1 (works great): Record level logic in subroutine, or in mainline. When doing file/record level access ...
4 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 2 Future consideration

Add a compiler directive to emit a message to the compiler listing

Under special circumstances it can be useful to add a user defined warning or error to the compiler listing - even to the extend, that a module should not compile. A new compiler directive "/MESSAGE" should be introduced like this: /IF NOT DEFINED...
4 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 1 Future consideration

Support value parameters for programs

Sometimes it'd be useful to be able to change a parameter in the main procedure of a program. This feature could internally be implemented by transparently copying a const parameter into a local variable. For example this dcl-pr myprog extpgm('*LI...
5 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 2 Future consideration

Add OPEN *ALL to RPG to open all files not already open.

Files defined as USROPN or already closed must be opened manually and individually and code must make sure each file is not already open. OPEN *ALL would be the complement to CLOSE *ALL.
7 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 2 Future consideration

RPG manual - %subst() start position and length in double bytes for graphic or UCS-2

The RPG manual needs a clarification for the %subst() build-in-function. For graphic or UCS-2 data the start position and length should be specified in double bytes. This is not documented.For the old SUBST operation it is only noted that the star...
7 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 2 Future consideration

RPG: Do not send RNF7031 (variable not referenced) for fields in template ds

For data consistency we use our reference file to define internal fields like so: dcl-ds omsref ext template end-ds ; dcl-s myObject like ( objc ); The reference file contains a boatload of fields. Because we do not use the majority of these field...
9 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 1 Future consideration

Add a way to associate a Binding Directory with a Subprocedure Prototype

When using /INCLUDE to pull in Prototypes, RPG developers also have to remember to specify the BNDDIR or BNDSRVPGM keyword on the CTL-OPT spec in order to include the related component that contains the procedure. This request would enable the dev...
10 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 3 Future consideration

Implement a %DTAARA built-in function in RPG IV

A %DTAARA built in function would be used to : When used as an lValue (left side of an =) Change the content of the data area. When used ias an rValue (right side of the = sign, or in compare opcodes) it returns the content of the data structure T...
10 months ago in IBM i / Languages - RPG 2 Future consideration