Free Form RPG

A few notes about the use Of Free Form RPG

Presented by: Jim Low Arturo Duarte, Jr. Wednesday, September 25, 2002
9/24/2007
Countrywide Home Loans, 2002-2003, All rights reserved

RPG IV Free Form Discussion Topics

Software Development Improvements Faster Coding Easier to Understand More Built in Functions (BIFs) A Few Less Op Codes What We Discovered Information Sources Significant Op Code Changes A Look into the Future Conclusion: Free-Form Advantages Examples of RPGIII v Free-Form
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Software Development Improvements

Faster Coding Easy to understand A few more BIFs A few less Op Codes

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Faster Coding
Easy to start and end Free Form
Calculation section start with: /Free (column 7) Calculation section end with: /End-Free (column 7)

Dont have to deal with columns

Algebraic Expressions (i.e. X = (Y * Z)/A) Type like you read Left to Right Finally do what you profess get rid of indicators! (mostly) Compound IF statements (complex) Simple IF statements
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Easier to Understand
Reading a file
ReadE(EN) filekey filename; Compared to: C FileKey ReadE(EN) C Read(EN)

filename filename

Calling a subprocedure
Procname(P1 : P2 : P3 : : Pn); Compared to: CALL ProcName PLIST CALLP ProcName(P1 : P2 : . . . : Pn) EVAL RtnValue = ProcName(P1 : P2 : : Pn)
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Easier to Understand (Continued)

Perform date calculations inline or as a conditional Old way:
C Extrct SomeDate:*M MM

Better way:
MM = %SubDt(SomeDate:*Month);

Even better:
If %SubDt(SomeDate:*Month) = ReportMonth;

Date Conversion:
newDateFormat = %char( %date( oldDateFormat: *YMD): *MDY) ;

Handle in line errors easier

Monitor, On-Error, EndMon Operations for entire blocks of code
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A few more BIFs (Built-in-Functions)

%LookUp, %LookUpXX (LT;LE;GT;GE) %Minutes; %Months (converts argument to duration
values for arithmetic operations)

%Occur (Set occurrence of a multiple occurrence data structure) %SHTDN (determining if the operator has requested shutdown) %CHAR (Input Value to character conversion includes
numeric, date, time, timestamp, graphic, and UCS-2)

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A Few Less Op Codes (Not Allowed in

Free-Form Coding)
Move operations
MOVEA; MOVELL; MOVEHL; MOVELH; MOVE

Bit Operations
BITON; BITOFF; TESTB

And others (see iSeries News; Moving Forward with Free-Format

RPG)

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What we Discovered
An overall 10% improvement in programming speed (based on measurement of time to create new Display File
programs for CHL-CHL Refi Application)

Compliance with numeric vs. alpha field handling

(i.e. like fields to like fields)

Clarity in programming A strong need for Best Practices (better yet: Standards) Think about what is needed first (i.e. define needed
variables then develop solution)

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What we Discovered (Continued)

A number of similarities between FreeForm and Java. Anyone can follow the code.

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Information Sources
IBM RPG/LE V5R1/V5R2 manuals iSeries News Contact with other experts (both in house and
external).

Experience with coding (using both traditional and current technology).

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Significant Op Code Changes

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Significant Op Code Changes

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Significant Op Code Changes

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A look into the Future

V5R2 Enhancements
Eliminate the need for KLIST/KFLD Single stroke operands (i.e. +=; -=; /=; etc.)
FLD1 += 1; ADD 1 EVAL FLD1 FLD1 = FLD1 + 1

BitWise BIFs (%BITAND; %BITOR; %BITXOR; etc.) Complex Data Structures (DIM use at the DS line level;
DIM on each sub-field; and DIMs within each sub-field)

Update only selected fields

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A look into the Future (Continued)

V5R2 Enhancements (Continued)
BitWise BIFs (%BITAND; %BITOR; %BITXOR; etc.)
Result = %BitOr(Var.1 : Var.2 : . . . : Var.n);

Complex Data Structures (DIM use at the DS line level;

DIM on each sub-field; and DIMs within each sub-field)
D DSName D DSSub1 D DSSub1a DS 100 20 5 DIM(100) DIM(5) DIM(4) Overlay(DSSub1)

Update only selected fields

UPDATE(EN) (Fld1 : Fld2 : Fld3) FileName;
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Conclusion: Free-Form
Is Quicker Is Easier to Understand Helps enforcement of good programming practices Takes advantage of current coding technology Supports business vision and strategic initiatives.
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Examples of RPGIII v FreeForm

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Examples of RPGIII v FreeForm

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Examples of RPGIII v FreeForm

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Examples of RPGIII v FreeForm

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Examples of FreeForm/CODE400

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