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  • Adding Subprocedures to a Service Program, Revisited

    September 11, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

    Hey, Ted:

    Regarding your article, “Adding Subprocedures to a Service Program,” there’s a question I’ve always wondered about.

    Why is the *CURRENT/*PRV way of handling new exports, such as this example:

    STRPGMEXP PGMLVL(*CURRENT)
    EXPORT SYMBOL('ONEMORETHAN')
    EXPORT SYMBOL('TWICE')
    EXPORT SYMBOL('ONETHIRDOF')
    ENDPGMEXP
    STRPGMEXP PGMLVL(*PRV)
    EXPORT SYMBOL('ONEMORETHAN')
    EXPORT SYMBOL('TWICE')
    ENDPGMEXP
    STRPGMEXP PGMLVL(*PRV)
    EXPORT SYMBOL('ONEMORETHAN')
    ENDPGMEXP
    

    so popular compared to the hard-coded signature method, where you only keep one export list, as shown in this example:

    STRPGMEXP PGMLVL(*CURRENT) SIGNATURE("MATH")
    EXPORT SYMBOL('ONEMORETHAN')
    EXPORT SYMBOL('TWICE')
    EXPORT SYMBOL('ONETHIRDOF')
    ENDPGMEXP
    

    You have to keep the exports in the same order and add news ones at the end anyway, so I don’t see the advantage of using *PRV signatures.

    — Barbara Morris

    RPG Compiler Development, IBM

    I’m not sure why the SIGNATURE(*GEN) method is so popular, but I’ll take a guess: That’s the way the writers for the tech magazines learned it first.

    Whatever the reason, the hard-coded signature method makes sense and does seem easier. If other readers know of a down side to hard-coded signatures, or otherwise have feelings about this issue, I hope they will e-mail me .

    I tested the hard-coded signature with the example in the original tip, and it worked fine. I was able to add more exports to the service program without getting signature level checks.

    — Ted

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    Tags: Tags: mgo_rc, Volume 2, Number 69 -- September 11, 2002

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    Edit with Parentheses in Query/400, Take Two Reader Feedback and Insights: Binder Language

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MGO Volume: 2 Issue: 69

This Issue Sponsored By

    Table of Contents

    • Reader Feedback and Insights: Security Flaws
    • Excuse Me…Can You Hold this Secondary Partition While I Upgrade the Primary?
    • Adding Subprocedures to a Service Program, Revisited

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