Coding Standards for Database Files › Coding Standards for Printer Files › General Considerations

General Considerations

Certain general considerations apply to the coding of printer files.

Externally described print files should normally be used in preference to program-described files, because:

• They are easier to code and change.
• They may be standardized to a greater degree.
• They provide support for translation into other national languages (for example, by use of the MSGCON keyword).

The only circumstances under which it might be worth considering using a program-described print file are if:

• there are a large number of arrays to be output
• complex overflow processing is required and the RPG cycle is being used

Sometimes, a program need only create a report in particular circumstances. For example, a file maintenance program might need to produce a report only if a change to the database was made. In such cases, you should make the opening of the print file explicit (use the RPG III OPEN operation code), so that unnecessary empty spool files are not created.

This example shows the standard layout for all source.