Reinventing the wheel

[daly.michael@verizon.net]

Reinventing the wheel

A recent employer created all new user profiles with QDFTJOBD as the library list, *WRKSTN for the outq parameter, and *NONE for the initial program. He then wrote (from scratch) a new initial sign-on program for every single user which does three things: 1) sets up the users library list, 2) assigns that user's output queue, and 3) calls the users initial program. Name withheld upon request.

[J.Pluta]

Reinventing the wheel

SP=WRKSPLF C=Call program SI=STRISDB With these, I can often do all my debugging without ever leaving the WRKMBRPDM display, and in fact without even moving my cursor (I always stay on the member I'm working on). And when I do need to move: QC=Call QCMD As to compiling, compiling to QTEMP is slower than *NOGEN, because *NOGEN doesn't create the object (in OPM that's QPRPH03P, a long-running little bugger, especially on larger programs).

[dchristie]

Reinventing the wheel

One thing that seems strange to me are display file "windows" coded with OVERLAY, OVRATR, OVRDTA, etc instead of using the DDS window keyword. I'll let older display files, created before this keyword, off the hook.

[T.Holt]

Reinventing the wheel

That's a good one, Michael. Can I use that example in my article?

[David Abramowitz]

Reinventing the wheel

You bring up a very good point which I will attempt to generalize: Reinventing the wheel is a by product of not knowing the available facilities. or more simply put: Redundancy is the product of ignorance. In other words, if an individual was aware that a facility was available to them, would they have spent the time and effort creating a new, but similar facility? Dave

[nycsusan@hotmail.com]

Reinventing the wheel

... if an individual was aware that a facility was available to them, would they have spent the time and effort creating a new, but similar facility? We should hope not! I agree that if the functionality is available on the 400 (i.e. free) most people would not write their own utility to do essentially the same thing if they realized it was available already. Sometimes people write utilites, short cuts, etc. because the functionality is not available. Then IBM catches up and adds the functionality in a subsequent upgrade, and then the home grown stuff is made obsolete and/or redundant. That's another way that I can think of that apparent redundancy was really an innovation at the time it was written. I have been pondering this question ... I keep coming up with improvements rather than duplications. I guess that makes sense. If someone had the initiative to write utilities or entire applications to do something cool, then it stands to reason that they would also take the initiative to do their homework first! I think when the "reinventing" does occur, it's because they didn't do their homework. Speaking of doing homework ... I wonder how many people buy products like Implementer or Robot without realizing that the 400 comes with change control and scheduling software built in to the OS? Both of those purchased products seem to have a lot more bells and whistles than the free stuff, but if the free stuff will meet needs ... ? My ex-boss bought Impementer without realizing that change control functionality comes with the 400. After the fact research revealed that the native change management app would have been sufficient. I enjoyed the look on his face when he was told about the native code. He was not a happy camper.

[Guest.Visitor]

Reinventing the wheel

CP for Create Program, defaults to selected module name as program name and first module. If you are creating a program that has multiple modules you just hit F4 to add them. Joel

[dchristie]

Reinventing the wheel

Susan, Can you specify what change control software comes with the 400? We have a home grown version here which is aging and I would like to replace it. Usually the decision to buy a full blown change management package is not just for the needs of the IS department, but of the auditors. This is when management takes notice; otherwise they are reluctant to buy any tools for the programming department.

[Guest.Visitor]

Reinventing the wheel

Susan Behrens wrote: "...is it reinventing the wheel if someone has to duplicate the functionality for financial reasons?" Although I think it is entirely reinvention. If one has Implementer or other package, and takes it upon themselves to write a similar package without enhancements, then it is reinvention and a waste of time. Quite possibly a copyright infringement. If someone has knowledge of how something should work and they develop a package or utility to perform that function, even if a commercial version exists, then it's reinvention of sorts, but more so "initiative". In the case of my LIBRARIAN system. I knew what we needed, knew what I wanted it to look like and gave it the basic qualities. I'm sure the bells and whistles (very few actually) pale when compared to those of many thousands of dollars, but for a weeks time, it was cheap and does what we need. I hope to improve it over the next few months, but it does work and wont let you have two copies of code without an override. -bret

[Guest.Visitor]

Reinventing the wheel

Susan, Joe, I used to compile to qtemp so I could test changes to an interactive program without actually changing the TEST or PRODUCTION code. I know this sounds contridictory, but I used to work in a shop where the boss did not let programmers have a library to themselves. We all had to use a common TEST environment. -bret

[Guest.Visitor]

Reinventing the wheel

Michael, Someone come from a JDE shop? That is standard with them. While some packages do not lend themselves well to library lists and alternate environments, JDE software can be set up to "overkill" with them. I had one client who had three different versions of their production environment and eight or nine test and upgrade environments. We finally got them upgraded and went to one test and one production. -bret

[Guest.Visitor]

Reinventing the wheel

My shortcuts DB=WRKDBF CD=Compile DDS with RSTDSP(*YES) SJ=WRKJOBSCDE LL=EDTLIBL QE=WRKQRY &l/&n DF=STRDFU otion(5) file(*libl/&n) WP=WRKUSRPRF *ALL WU=WRKUSRJOB BMYRICK *ALL (this is me!) WW=WRKWTR (for those times when I get 'My printer won't work!' calls) -bret

[Guest.Visitor]

Reinventing the wheel

Regarding user-defined PDM options... I always compile interactively (I'm boss) and thus the spooled file name of my compiler listing matches my source member name, and the spooled file's job name matches my interactive job name, and thus these two commands let me display and delete a compiler listing:

 DS DSPSPLF FILE(&N) JOB(*) SPLNBR(*LAST) XS DLTSPLF FILE(&N) JOB(*) SPLNBR(*LAST)

[nycsusan@hotmail.com]

Reinventing the wheel

Can you specify what change control software comes with the 400? We have a home grown version here which is aging and I would like to replace it. Here 'ya go David, straight from IBM: The Application Dvelopment Manager/400 feature answers many of the needs of today's application developers. It provides a team of application developers, working in an AS/400 environment, with a mechanism for efficiently and effectively managing their development environment and its application objects throughout the life of the application. Click on the following URL and search for "Development Manager": http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bi...ELVES/QB3AYC05 BTW, if you have an operations staff in your shop, or some other group that "manages" the machine, they sometimes disable features like these if they are not used. If you don't find the commands on your 400, that may be the reason why.

[D.Handy]

Reinventing the wheel

Susan, "If you don't find the commands on your 400, that may be the reason why." But it is much more likely that they didn't pay for those options. They don't "come" with ADTS. The ADM option, even for a P05 tier, is $1400 USD last I looked. And the ADS option (Application Dictionary Services) is another $650 USD at the P05 tier. These are in addition to the base ADTS fee of $1200 USD for the P05 tier. Doug