Posted by
Ronald L. Gines on
URL: http://ibm-netrexx.48.s1.nabble.com/Since-NetRexx-is-Java-tp678080p678098.html
On 05 Dec 97 07:46:50 MST,
[hidden email] wrote:
>Hello fellow NetRexxers,
>
>One of the Reasons I suggested using the ++ and *= is because it is
>found in native Java. .... ....
>In addition, since using long descriptive variables is an easy way of self
>documentation, >
>What do you all think?
Since everyone else seemed to be adding their two cents worth here is mine from
a slightly different point of view.
First, let me explain that I do NOT consider myself a programmer. Yes I can do
it, but it is not a love of mine. My focus (and the focus of my company) is on
the networking side fo the world. ... this is where my personal love and interest in
computing comes from.
That being said, I have historically been a HUGE fan of REXX (the classic variety)
because it allowed me to get my work done in an extremely straight - forward
manner in language I understood and without requiring a compiler and development
tools. REXX has saved my life on many occasions at a client due to this ease
of use.
The other thing that I have historically enjoyed about REXX has been its expandability.
If there were functions that I needed (LAN Server Admin, SQL calls, dBASEIII file
access, among a few) there was always a set of DLLs available to expand this
functionality for me.
I'm sure you are wondering where I am going with this....
Although I have never been able to find the time to dive into NetREXX the way that
I would like to (it does have this nice fit with the networking side of computing
which I so dearly enjoy :-)) I still have the clean environment where I can get the
work at hand done when it is needed. And once again, if I need REXX to behave
in a certain fashion, I usually have the tools available to make it happen.
Here is what I would propose, and I guess that only Mike Cowlishaw would be able
to comment on how feasible it would be to implement.
I believe that the 'Java' items listed above should be included as an optional syntax
for NetREXX.; and here are my reasons.
1) If they are added as an 'optional' syntax, then they do not effect me and my
'classic REXX' mental handicap (in that I am not well versed in C. C++ or JAVA). Plus
my old code continues to run (unless of course I happen to have used things like '++'
or '+=' or simialar ... not likely.
2) For those who are from the Java camp and are looking at this as an alternate
programming environment, then they probably are used to thinking in terms of '++' and
'+=' (of course I am not ...). Being able to use these and var+1 or other simialar
common Java constructs allows them to not be handicapped by NetREXX by
having to reinvent how they would convert from what they are used to in order to code
within NetREXX.
3) In some cases, it might make the migtration from NetREXX to pure Java a
little easier, since there would no translation and the Java elements would simply
be passed on to the output code (Mike will have to answer that one.)
NOTE: Please not that above I stated that the 'common' elements within Java should
be brought over and supported as syntax. I don't for a minute think that the
entire Java syntax should be supported ... if that wsa done, why not just write in
Java (as someone else has already mentioned). If including a few of these very 'common'
elements ( and I would not be a good condidate for deciding which should be used)
is not a major internal change for NetREXX, and it does not REQUIRE that I use
them, but it does help people upgrading from Java to NetREXX, then by all means,
I would say go for it.
Sorry, this ended up being a longer response that I at first expected. I hope it added
value to the discussion.
Ronald L. Gines
President, CONNEXUS Inc.
[hidden email]
314/771-6176
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