This article introduces a feature that's been around for some time but that you might not have gotten to know just yet.

Written by Joe Pluta

This article continues the exploration of procedures, but it does so by taking a little segue into the topic of variable-length fields. With the possible exception of prototypes and procedures themselves, variable-length fields may be one of the most productive additions to the RPG language. If you haven't used variable-length fields, you're in for a treat. Even if you have, you may want to skim through this article anyway just to see how I'm using them.

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Run CL commands from within your RPG application program.

Written by Bruce Vining

Related to my article "V7R1 CL: Something for Everyone," published last month in an MC Special Issue, Avrohom N. sent me a note concerning an enhancement that would be a nice addition to RPG—namely, to be able to run CL commands directly from free-form RPG. The note goes on to point out that running user-created CL commands, with keywords to identify the purpose of parameters being passed to the command processing program (CPP)—rather than just parameter values as is done when calling a program—provides an easier to understand interface between programs.