I have a hard time seeing that a non-programmer would find stem variables easy to understand, but maybe that's just me. When I was learning REXX I wish someone would have told me to just think of them as "keyed arrays" or "associative arrays", or even hashmaps, though I hate that term since to me a hash is an implementation detail and not a language feature. Frank
On 11/7/2010 at 8:40 AM, in message <b870629719727b4ba82a6c06a31c29123119dc4...@hqmailsvr01.voltage.com>, Phil Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 7:17 AM, Martin Packer <[email protected]> > wrote: >> Not to dismiss the sample at all but... > >> ... this really shows off the grottiness of Classic REXX as a language... >> I have incantations just like these (and knowing enough of object-oriented >> languages and Object REXX) I wonder why we haven't ported Open Object Rexx >> to z/OS yet... Most of this example would be MUCH better if implemented in >> Object REXX. For example alloc_member and alloc_dsname stems could be >> attributes/properties/members of a single object. (And increment and >> decrement operators wouldn't be a bad idea either - though in THIS case >> some form of collection class would probably be better.) > > You're misinterpreting (sic) the goals of Rexx, and calling it "grotty" in > the wrong context. It's like complaining about the cargo capacity of your > motorcycle, or the acceleration of your semi (truck). > > Classic Rexx was designed to be easy to use, even for end-users. The fact > that it's gone way beyond that and is used for full-fledge applications is a > tribute to its elegance and power. Hardly grottiness. > > If you showed the average non-programmer Object Rexx, they wouldn't "get it" > and wouldn't use it. And loading it up with operators like increment and > decrement not only won't help, but will hurt. > -- > ...phsiii > > Phil Smith III > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO > Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html >>> The information contained in this electronic communication and any document attached hereto or transmitted herewith is confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any examination, use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by reply e-mail and destroy this communication. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
