Overlay function --> RPG 400

[hasj_gogo412]

Hello everyone,

Can someone explain to me how does this function work? overlay()

Also, my internship subject is to translate a RPG ILE source to RPG 400...
I know it's a pain in the a**...
Any advise on how should it works?

thanks a lot,


hasj_gogo412

[JonBoy]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Nobody in their right mind should be asking anybody to convert anything to RPG400. It sounds a bit as if your supervisor is giving you busy work - or perhaps asking you to go and purchase a left-handed screwdriver?

I'll give you a hint - look at the use of the from and to columns in RPG400 DS definitions. Beyond that - sorry - you're on your own in any attempt to convert a working program to a language that has been obsolete for nearly 20 years!!

[hasj_gogo412]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Nobody in their right mind should be asking anybody to convert anything to RPG400. It sounds a bit as if your supervisor is giving you busy work - or perhaps asking you to go and purchase a left-handed screwdriver?

I'll give you a hint - look at the use of the from and to columns in RPG400 DS definitions. Beyond that - sorry - you're on your own in any attempt to convert a working program to a language that has been obsolete for nearly 20 years!!

Ok, well just to be sure, RPG 3 and RPG400 are the same language right?
If so, I can assure you that it's still in use in many companies!
Why? because they had a big amount of programs writen in RPG 3, and they don't have the time (or money, but time = money so...) to update it.

thank you JonBoy

[B.Hauser]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Sure there are thousands of running code lines still written in RPGIII (sometimes even in RPGII).
But translating a running program from a modern language into an outdated legacy language is ... sorry mad.

If you need the functionality in RPGIII, consider writing a small RPGIV program (or even better an exported ILE procedure wrapped with a program) and call it from your RPGIII program.
Or convert your RPGIII source with CVTRPGSRC into a RPGIV source, et voilà you can use the OVERLAY keyword and whatever you need.

Birgitta

[hasj_gogo412]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

If you need the functionality in RPGIII, consider writing a small RPGIV program (or even better an exported ILE procedure wrapped with a program) and call it from your RPGIII program.
Or convert your RPGIII source with CVTRPGSRC into a RPGIV source, et voilà you can use the OVERLAY keyword and whatever you need.

Birgitta

It's a good idea thank you! ... but I am not allowed to do that.
I'll figure something out.
Thank you anyway!

[Robert Clay]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Are you certain that you don't have that backward and you should be translating from RPG400 to RPG ILE?

At any rate, here's some sites with help on overlay: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=rpg+overlay+keyword

Robert

[hasj_gogo412]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

thanks for the sites..
I have to translate from RPG400 to RPG ILE.
Well thank you, I now understand how overlay is used and at what end.
If I figure how to do it in RPG400 I'll post it ASAP. (.. if someone is curious at least)

[jtaylor___]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Ok, well just to be sure, RPG 3 and RPG400 are the same language right?
If so, I can assure you that it's still in use in many companies!
Why? because they had a big amount of programs writen in RPG 3, and they don't have the time (or money, but time = money so...) to update it.

thank you JonBoy

"RPGIII" and "RPG/400" are often used interchangeably, although I think technically they are different. I say that because they have different compilers.

[tomholden]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

ok I'm confused originally you stated that you had to convert from ILE to RPG III and now you are saying the opposite! so which is it? if your last post (from III to ILE) is correct then just use the CVTRPGSRC command (and then modify to use the overlay on your DS) if you are indeed converting backward (which you should point out to the others involved) is totally the wrong direction to take. i realize sometimes we have to do the wrong thing due to ignorance of management, etc but you should really fight that battle! which does beg the question, is this something you originally wrote using RPG IV and are being asked to "retro-fit" into a deprecated version of the language or something you've taken from the web & are integrating into your software? if you are converting(ugh) to RPG III you'll have to take a look at "I" specs, etc...

thanks for the sites..
I have to translate from RPG400 to RPG ILE.
Well thank you, I now understand how overlay is used and at what end.
If I figure how to do it in RPG400 I'll post it ASAP. (.. if someone is curious at least)

[hasj_gogo412]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Owww sorry, even my subconscious tells me I am taking the the wrong path :P Unfortunately it is from ILE to III, backwarding then!
I agree with you, but hey, I am an intern what can I do ("code and shut up")?
"I" specs then, okay I'll look at it.
Jtaylor, are you saying that "RPGIII" and "RPG/400" aren't the same languages? in that case, I am coding in RPG III. Does it change anything in the specs?

[JonBoy]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

Jtaylor, are you saying that "RPGIII" and "RPG/400" aren't the same languages? in that case, I am coding in RPG III. Does it change anything in the specs?

I'm not Jtaylor but ...

RPG/400 was the AS/400 implementation of RPG III. So they are substantively the same language. RPG/400 has a few more bells and whistles but very very little.

You perhaps need to point out to whatever idiot is asking you to do this that this is beyond being a complete and utter waste of time. Use the RPG IV as-is and use you (apparently) suplus time to covert a few more of their museum pieces to RPG IV! A much more productive use of your time. They are apparently unaware that if you run RPG IV programs in their default compilation mode (i.e. DFTACTGRP(*YES)) then they are 100% compatible with RPG III programs. I challenge them to find any behavioural differences.

Witness the JDE package (and others) where they are too greedy to spend the pennies on converting all of the suite to RPG IV but now have a number of RPG IV programs because they just got too big to compile with the RPG/400 compiler. Any compatibility issues were taken care of years ago and as I and others have said it makes less than zero sense to use RPG III for any new code and certainly not for converting _from_ RPG IV.

It is people like your management who are effectively helping to kill the platform by keeping us in the past. RPG IV has been with us for nearly 20 years - converting backwards is just plain ignorant. THis kind of idiocy just makes me mad.

[jtaylor___]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

I can't really speak to the differences between RPGIII and RPG/400. My only experience with RPGIII was a little part-time work almost 20 years ago on an (even then) old S/36. About the only thing I recall was a lack of externally-described files, but that may well have been a limitation of the S/36.

[JonBoy]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

I can't really speak to the differences between RPGIII and RPG/400. My only experience with RPGIII was a little part-time work almost 20 years ago on an (even then) old S/36. About the only thing I recall was a lack of externally-described files, but that may well have been a limitation of the S/36.

In all probability you were using RPG II if it was an S/36. Asna had a version of RPG III for the S/36 if I recall correctly, but since it wasn't from IBM it wasn't that widely used.

[jtaylor___]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

In all probability you were using RPG II if it was an S/36. Asna had a version of RPG III for the S/36 if I recall correctly, but since it wasn't from IBM it wasn't that widely used.

I'm pretty sure it was RPGIII, but that was a long time ago.

[DeadManWalks]

Re: Overlay function --> RPG 400

I am an intern what can I do ("code and shut up")?

I will use this tactic in the future. Assign it to someone and if they blindly go and do it withask asking, I'd send them home.