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Status Submitted
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Feb 18, 2024

New ASSERT op-code

Assertions are good programming style and widely in use in C, C++ and other languages.

The idea is to have an ASSERT op-code like that:

   assert sqlcode in %list(0:100) 'Unexpected SQLCODE = '+%char(sqlcode);
   assert sqlcode = *zero %msg(...) %target(*caller);

So syntactically:

   assert boolean-expression string-constant|%msg(..) [%target(..)];

Which would be equivalent to something like:

   if not (sqlcode = *zero);
snd-msg *escape 'SQLCODE is not zero!';
endif;

But the new op-code would provide:

  1. A "positive" notation like in "contract programming"

  2. An shorter and easier to read notation

  3. A wider adoption of exceptions/messages

Idea priority High
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Mar 15, 2024

    It's true that it's easy to write an assert() procedure, but with an assert() procedure, the joblog would show the assert() procedure as the sender, making it more difficult to determine the problem.

    The advantage of an ASSERT opcode would be that the joblog would show the current procedure and statement number as the sender of the error message.

    - Barbara Morris, IBM

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Feb 26, 2024

    Created a service program and procedure named ASSERT is so easy to do. Have you tried that?