29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

Don't Just Paint My Walls

RPG
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Frequently, programming is associated with the arts. But I have to disagree. While I believe the phrase "programming is an art" is true, the way some people apply programming skills is akin to the way some tradespeople apply construction skills.

When a new feature is needed or a program needs to be changed, some programmers do an immediate "quick and dirty" repair and call it a day, while other programmers take a little more time and build something that will last into the future.

As an analogy, suppose you have a crack in your wall that needs to be repaired. One repairperson may fix it using spackle, drywall, compound tape, a wet sponge, and paint. Another repairperson may cover up the problem by simply slapping a coat of paint over the crack. Certainly, in both cases, you don't see the crack when the work is complete. In one case, you have the illusion of spending less money, but in the end, you always end up going back and paying for it (and then some) later.

Depending on the severity of the crack, which type of job would you prefer to have done? For example, suppose the crack in the wall is caused by an original imperfection in the workmanship that is now being aggravated every time severe rain hits your area. The crack frequently appears to be static (not growing) so you choose to simply paint over it. Weeks or months go by, and the crack doesn't return and you forget about it. But the next time a heavy rain hits, the crack grows a little more, resurfacing through the paint. You've got the same old problem again.

I find it terrifying that so many programmers are simply slapping a coat of paint over their programming problems. Whether it's a habit learned from years of their employers telling them to do it quickly and "just make it work" or it's the fact that they are simply poor programmers (obviously, readers of this column are great programmers!), the result is the same. Slapping a coat of paint on everything every time is going to come back to haunt you. These quick fixes that work only in a specific situation or fix only a specific problem are similar to painting over a crack in the wall.

The engineer Rube Goldberg had a wonderful cartoon series in which he often depicted solving the simplest of problems using the most complex solutions he could dream up. Think of the old Mouse Trap board game, and you'll know what I mean.

Today, a "Rube Goldberg solution" is often used as a derogatory remark to someone who advocates a solution that is over-engineered or too crazy to implement. For example, let's say we need to solve this problem: Add one day to today's date, giving tomorrow's date.

A Rube Goldberg-style solution might be this:

  1. Prompt the user for today's date.
  2. Prompt the user for how many days he wants to add to today's date.
  3. Ask the user to go to a calendar hanging on the wall and find today's date.
  4. Ask the user to count on his fingers the number of days he wants to add.
  5. Ask the user to go to the calendar hanging on the wall and then, using his fingers, count that many days forward on the calendar and remember that date.
  6. Ask the user to enter the new date.
  7. Use that new date in the rest of the program.

A non-Rube Goldberg solution might be to use the ADDDUR opcode.

Doing the Right Thing

I think programmers frequently succumb to pressures from above. They do what they can to satisfy their customers, which, in an iSeries shop, typically means the users.

Programmers rush to get the job done quickly, perhaps introducing errors and implementing code that only fixes a specific issue without regard for the bigger picture.

Here are a few examples that illustrate some of the characteristics of quick fixes:

Hard-Coding Values in RPG Code

Hard-coding values has long been a problem with RPG in general. It wasn't until the 1990s that the RPG III language spec was changed to support named constants. This change was carried over into RPG IV and is a powerful solution to hard-coding so-called magic numbers or other literal values.

Hard-coding Production or Test-Library Names in CL

Hard-coding in CL is a bit more convenient, but your own discipline should stifle this habit. Simply declaring a CL variable to contain the hard-coded value (also known as a literal) can solve this problem quickly.

Using *CURLIB Instead of the Library List

Using *CURLIB is an interesting problem. I see people using it with the assumption that the current library is effectively static. I also see it when programmers really meant to use *LIBL or no qualifier at all. Instead, they "hard-code" *CURLIB in the CL. This can lead to all kinds of issues. For example, it effectively restricts future library list changes when additional data is placed on the library list in front of the library normally identified with *CURLIB. Those files will not be detected and used if they also exist in the *CURLIB.

Using a GOTO

Using a GOTO... Need I say more? OK, I will. CL is perhaps the only language that requires a GOTO to complete the job. Look at the MONMSG command for the quintessential example. IBM is working on improvements to CL, and V5R3 offers some major improvements. But 90% of all programmers I spoke with said, "That's cool, but who cares?" when asked about the CL enhancements.

Take Your Time and Do It Right

"Just fix it" is fine for a time-critical situation where you need it done now no matter what. But then you need to go back and resolve the problem with a permanent, widespread, proper solution.

I've seen situations where programmers have hurriedly done a poor job with the application in the first place and then spent countless days putting out fires when the users ran each piece of the application. Sure, one or two things occasionally work correctly, but sometimes developers end up "fixing" poorly working code with poorly written fixes.

In general, RPG programmers write working code because the language encourages it and their history is writing and using code that doesn't blow up. In other languages, something the equivalent of the MOVE opcode might work sometimes and not work other times (due to data issues). But in RPG, we just don't have this type of problem.

Doing it right the first time may not always be possible. But doing it right is the right thing to do, even if it means redoing your existing code.

I received a notable response recently from a programmer after I pointed out that his use of *CURLIB in the overrides for an application would cause issues with this multi-company application and that he needed to remove *CURLIB or change it to *LIBL. He responded, "I spent more than 30 hours going in by hand and entering those things. Don't you think we could just change the requirements rather than spend countless hours undoing what I've done, and then we could just fix things if problems come up?" My response was, "If problems come up? You mean when problems come up."

Needless to say, I began to understand why some people get fired.

Bob Cozzi is a programmer/consultant, writer/author, and software developer. His popular RPG xTools add-on subprocedure library for RPG IV is fast becoming a standard with RPG developers. His book The Modern RPG Language has been the most widely used RPG programming book for more than a decade. He, along with others, speaks at and produces the highly popular RPG World conference for RPG programmers.

BOB COZZI

Bob Cozzi is a programmer/consultant, writer/author, and software developer. His popular RPG xTools add-on subprocedure library for RPG IV is fast becoming a standard with RPG developers. His book The Modern RPG Language has been the most widely used RPG programming book for more than a decade. He, along with others, speaks at and produces the highly popular RPG World conference for RPG programmers.


MC Press books written by Robert Cozzi available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

RPG TnT RPG TnT
Get this jam-packed resource of quick, easy-to-implement RPG tips!
List Price $65.00

Now On Sale

The Modern RPG IV Language The Modern RPG IV Language
Cozzi on everything RPG! What more could you want?
List Price $99.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: