Re: RPG Service Program vs Include Source for Shared Subprocedures and SQL Calls

Hey Brian,

We did it manually- so each “breaking” version got its own version
signature- and it worked fine. The problem occurred when you have hundreds
of versions- and trying to keep track of each.. with hundreds of exports..
the binder source exploded..

So we went to a more pragmatic solution: only adding exports to the end -
and if implementation is challenged- add that to the end and don’t touch
the original so any client code will work in touched.

.. but that is a convention, and conventions can easy be broken.

That made me implement the dynamic procedure load and we use that in all
our products and projects

You can find “the magic” in both noxDb and ILEastic and in our IceBreak.



lør. 21. mar. 2026 kl. 13.18 skrev Brian Parkins <[email protected]>:

> Neils, did this nightmare arise from system-generated Signatures - or
> from user-defined Signatures? (I would have thought the latter provides
> both flexibility and control - but please correct me.)
>
> I assume you define one, fixed Signature now? So how do you manage
> version control?
>
> Interesting.
>
> Brian.
>
> On 21/03/2026 11:28, Niels Liisberg wrote:
> > .. but service program signatures quickly becomes a nightmare for version
> > control.. yes you can … but.. first you had one problem with control the
> > version .. now for each signature you have yet an issue..
> >
> > Been there - done that.. never again…
> >
> > lør. 21. mar. 2026 kl. 18.21 skrev Brian Parkins <
> [email protected]>:
> >
> >> Even under these circumstances a *SRVPGM <may> provide a solution.
> >>
> >> Multiple versions of the same procedure can co-exist in a single
> >> *SRVPGM, (provided the names are unique). The flexibility of Signatures
> >> and the Export Symbol Table.
> >>
> >> 100% agree that *SRVPGMs are the better option; /COPY and /INCLUDE
> >> should - in the main - be used only for Prototype inclusion, (with /IF,
> >> /DEFINE, etc. as required).
> >>
> >> Brian.
> >>
> >> On 21/03/2026 05:22, Niels Liisberg wrote:
> >>> The is some exceptions: versioning - where different clients need
> >> different
> >>> versions at a certain point in time.
> >> --
> >> This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
> >> To post a message email: [email protected]
> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> >> visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
> >> or email: [email protected]
> >> Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> >> at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.
> >>
> >> Please contact [email protected] for any subscription
> related
> >> questions.
> >>
> >>
>
> --
> This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
> To post a message email: [email protected]
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
> or email: [email protected]
> Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.
>
> Please contact [email protected] for any subscription related
> questions.
>
>
-- 
This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: [email protected]
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: [email protected]
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.

Please contact [email protected] for any subscription related questions.