[Info-vax] Programming languages on VMS

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2018-02-01 17:29:24 +0000, DaveFroble said:

> Stephen Hoffman wrote:
>> TL;DR: RMS file versions are a pain to use, require the user or the 
>> system manager explicitly manage them, and don't particularly solve the 
>> problems that we even say that RMS version files solve.   Not well.  If 
>> at all.
> 
> Maybe I'm just too old school, but, I understand versions, and I 
> understand what they can do for me.  And so, I use them.

There's no reason not to use them.  They are, however, a complete pain 
in the rump, and don't really solve the problems we use them for.   
Combining versions and backups, and direct integration with source code 
control tools for developers really makes this clear, too.

> As for some tool or utility, that I don't understand, saying "trust 
> your edits and such to me, don't worry about them", well, I don't 
> trust, and I do worry.

You have learned to trust other tools, not the least of which are 
BACKUP and RMS.

> Logging.  I can have unique log files, easily selected by date and name 
> and such.  Easy to access, easy to read.  I don't have to depend on 
> some utility or tool to find and view logs.

Harder to automate, though.  Requires local clean-up, too.

> The "old ways", they just work, and I understand them.  Do I really 
> need more, or is it actually less?

So you'll be back-porting your code to Macro32 assembler?  Since that's 
The Old Way, and not these fancy 3GL compiler thingies.  Assembler code 
is far more efficient and better.  BETTER!  Or so I was told, by the 
folks that preferred assembler to 3GLs.  Or that were on a tear about 
memory usage in new apps, when the available memory hardware and 
addressing was increasing.  Etc.

> Building an application.  I've developed the methods for easily 
> building applications.  I understand the methods.  Others use them, and 
> seem to be happy with them.  Why do I need to change what works?

You don't.   But ponder what you go through when you start up a wholly 
new application.  Not that Cmake and the other tools and autoconf are a 
salient example nor even remotely a panacea.  They aren't.

Yeah, none of us like to learn new tools.  But that's the business we're in.


-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC