On Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:12:51 -0600 Paul Gilmartin <paulgboul...@aim.com> wrote:
:>On Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:50:17 +0200, Binyamin Dissen wrote: :>>:>>The suffix does not violate compatibility. A CVT bit could indicate the :>>:>>support for the suffix. :>>:>So that a program that works with a long parm today, such as the Assembler, :>>:>would have to be modified to test the CVT and look in a new place for the :>>:>long parm. A poor solution, IMO. :>>Compatibility has its costs. This solution does not change the number of :>>parameters and is completely compatible. :>You and I have diametrically opposed perspectives of "compatibility". :>To me, "compatibility" means the facility to call a program from JCL :>with a long PARM presenting exactly the same interface as today when :>it's called from other languages (such as Rexx), and requiring :>modification neither of the target program nor of the calling language :>(i.e. Rexx). You seem to advocate that the interface when called :>from JCL should differ from the interface when called from Rexx, etc. :>I can't view that as "compatible". You have an unusual understanding of compatibility. Compatibility means that an existing program runs as is without needing to make any changes with the APIs remaining the same. New programs requiring new features use new APIs. :>Yes, some programs would break if they could be called from JCL :>with long parms, identically as they'd break if called from Rexx, :>etc. with the same parms. Even that identical behavior in breakage :>is a form of compatibility. Or if called as a CP or if called with a random parameter list. The API is defined as 100 byte maximum and programs are coded for that. Any change must respect the existing programs. New programs wishing to use a larger plist can be coded to use a new way to get to the data. -- Binyamin Dissen <bdis...@dissensoftware.com> http://www.dissensoftware.com Director, Dissen Software, Bar & Grill - Israel Should you use the mailblocks package and expect a response from me, you should preauthorize the dissensoftware.com domain. I very rarely bother responding to challenge/response systems, especially those from irresponsible companies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
