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25
VOTE
Not supported for the current status
Status Future consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Feb 27, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

Merged idea
This idea has been merged into another idea. To comment or vote on this idea, please visit IBMI-I-4733 Extend prototyped procedure calls with "keyword parameters".

Introduce named parameters at program and procedure calls Merged

When calling SQL stored procedures and User defined Functions parameters can be passed with an argument list (i.e. Naming the parameter and assigning the parameter value to the named parameter).

Would be great if we could call (prototyped) Programs and Procedures in the same or similar way. The parameter name could be taken from the Procedure Interface (or may be the programmers can be forced to name their parameters in the Prototypes, if they want to use this Call method).

Optional Parameters or omitted parameters just could be skipped. 

It would be really helpful for programs and procedures with a bunch of parameters. Would be easier to read and also to code:

Instead of 

ProcName(Col1, 0, 0, 0, '', '', 'ABC')

the call could be coded as 

ProcName(ParName1 => Col1: 
			    ParName2 => *Zeros:
			    ParName3 => *Zeros:
			    ParName4 => *Zeros:
			    ParName5 => *Zeros:
			    ParName6 => '':
			    ParName7 => '':
			    ParName8 => 'ABC');

or even simpler (assumed Par2 - Par7 are *Omitted):

ProcName(ParName1 => Col1: ParName8 => 'ABC');

 

Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Mar 5, 2026
    Your request is a duplicate of IBM Idea IBMI-I-4733.
    https://ibm-power-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/IBMI-I-4733.

    - IBM Power Systems Development
    Reply
  • Guest
    Mar 2, 2026

    I think this adds documentation to the code. It's easy while you are writing it but come back a few years later and try and work out what a '1' in parm 7 actuall means.

    Reply
  • Guest
    Feb 28, 2026

    Goid idea like sql

    Reply
  • Guest
    Feb 28, 2026

    Duplicate idea: https://ibm-power-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/IBMI-I-4733

    Reply
  • Guest
    Feb 27, 2026 
    You think this:

ProcName(ParName1 => Col1: ParName2 => *Zeros: ParName3 => *Zeros: ParName4 => *Zeros: ParName5 => *Zeros: ParName6 => '': ParName7 => '': ParName8 => 'ABC');

is easier to code than this:

ProcName(Col1, 0, 0, 0, '', '', 'ABC')

??
    1 reply
  • Guest
    Feb 27, 2026

    Keep it simple by having a parm string like:
    parm1=abcd,parm3=123,parm4=0,

     

    Reply
  • Guest
    Feb 27, 2026

    I think this is a great idea - so many modern (and some older) languages support this. Smalltalk, Ada, Ruby, Swift and even C#. 

    Please introduce this into **FREE RPG !!

    Reply

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