[Info-vax] DCL's flaws (both scripting and UI)

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <m9lq23$be8$1 at news.albasani.net>,
	Jan-Erik Soderholm <jan-erik.soderholm at telia.com> writes:
> David Froble skrev den 2015-01-20 15:50:
>> Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
>>> David Froble skrev den 2015-01-20 14:26:
>>>> Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
>>>>> David Froble skrev den 2015-01-20 09:13:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I also have libraries of routines to do things.  If I have libraries in
>>>>>> Basic that match the libraries in say Python, then what's the major
>>>>>> difference between the environments?  I suggest it's very little.
>>>>>
>>>>> Doesn't your Basic need a compiler? And if so, do you have
>>>>> a compiler on every system? Or do you need to build your
>>>>> quick-fix one-of-the-kind tool on some other system first?
>>>>>
>>>>> With Python you get a fast edit/test/edit/test cycle.
>>>>> With Basic ou get edit/compile/copy/test/edit/compile/copy/test.
>>>>>
>>>>> That is, if your Basic compiler is on another system.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jan-Erik.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Basic compiler on all systems.  And if not, with DECnet and FAL, it doesn't
>>>> matter.  I can even execute the image sitting on a dev system on say a
>>>> production system over the network.  Well, if same architecture.
>>>>
>>>> But, for us, the production system has the compiler, so no issue.
>>>
>>> I guess that "but, for us" is the key here... :-)
>>>
>>> Anyway, I can't see getting a Basic compiler is the general
>>> answer to having something to complement DCL.
>>
>> What about Cobol?
> 
> Yes, I'm using Python for many tasks where the former guy would have
> spent more time to hack together a Cobol application. Progress.

Don't confuse programming language abiltiy and programmer ability.
I have written program in COBOL in a half hour while others took
days to accomplish the same thing using PHP.

> 
> All our main applications uses Cobol and all new *application*
> development uses Cobol. But that is not what we are talking
> about here, right?
> 
> I'm not talking about Python replacing Cobol, but Python
> complementing DCL.
> 
> 
>>
>> I'm not saying it has to be Basic.  I'm saying there are existing
>> alternatives.
> 
> Agree. And Python is a good complement to DCL.
> 
>>
>> I'm thinking that some or all of the compilers should be bundled with VMS.
>> Better chance of including them in a support contract.
> 
> Doesn't matter. What matter is how it is today.

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>