Keyword Forget List

[comatt1]

Setting up keyword forget list:

Being a DBA, I really want to get 10.1B installed (have 10.0B05, ugh).

I want the DBA functions in 10.1B for my benefit, but don't necessarily understand the full ramifications of installing the newer version of Progress and utilizing this keywork forget list:

Has anyone used this (if for 10.0B -> 10.1B that would be great)?
What was your experience?
What caveats or bugs do I need to be aware of?

I have a little documentation, and I can go ahead with testing this out, I just want to know any steps others have taken to upgrade Progress without losing the functionality our ERP vendor supports with our version of their product.

--- I am really curious to hear others' experiences with this.

 

[tamhas]

Keyword forget is a pretty simple concept, really. Put a keyword in the list and the AVM will act as if it is not a keyword. That's a real quick and dirty way to change to a new version when you have database fields or variables or whatever that happen to be the same as some new keyword. The downside is that you can't use the functionality behind that new keyword until you fix the problem and remove it from the list.

So, step one is to do a compile without the keyword forget list and find out how big the problem is. If it isn't a lot, then just do the fixes and get on with it. If it is too much and the move is more important, then put entries in the list and compile again until it works.

But why 10.1B. 10.1C has been out for a long time and 10.2A is out now.

 

[comatt1]

Keyword forget is a pretty simple concept, really. Put a keyword in the list and the AVM will act as if it is not a keyword. That's a real quick and dirty way to change to a new version when you have database fields or variables or whatever that happen to be the same as some new keyword. The downside is that you can't use the functionality behind that new keyword until you fix the problem and remove it from the list.

So, step one is to do a compile without the keyword forget list and find out how big the problem is. If it isn't a lot, then just do the fixes and get on with it. If it is too much and the move is more important, then put entries in the list and compile again until it works.

But why 10.1B. 10.1C has been out for a long time and 10.2A is out now.

The largest hurdle I think I will encounter with any version of Progress, is getting my ERP vendor (infor) to give us the new version (will have to see).

I am a DBA, 10.1B is what I want

Either way, I would probably want to take a step-by-step approach. Move up one release at a time.

 

[tamhas]

No real reason not to leapfrog if you can get Infor to cooperate. All you accomplish doing it one at a time is more disruption. If they won't give you 10.2A, since it just shipped, try for 10.1C.

 

[TomBascom]

10.1B is not a good idea. 10.1C fixes important bugs (like purge locks) and adds very significant performance and diagnostic capabilities. You're a DBA, you want those. 10.2 is too new -- I wouldn't be going there quite yet.

If you can compile code then it shouldn't matter to Infor which version you upgrade to.

I wouldn't waste any time with the keyword forget list unless you actually have a problem that it will fix that you cannot otherwise repair.

 

[comatt1]

10.1B is not a good idea. 10.1C fixes important bugs (like purge locks) and adds very significant performance and diagnostic capabilities. You're a DBA, you want those. 10.2 is too new -- I wouldn't be going there quite yet.

If you can compile code then it shouldn't matter to Infor which version you upgrade to.

I wouldn't waste any time with the keyword forget list unless you actually have a problem that it will fix that you cannot otherwise repair.

Hadn't looked at the full fix list for 10.1C, and realized there were a few new items that I would like (but really, 10.1B provides the biggest leap for me).

I agree with 10.2 being too new, but nothing is too new to try; having three system tiered approach to promoting upgrades/enhancements.

I love having a DEV, TEST and PROD box. (although wouldn't mind a production failover server -- if Bill is reading -- hint hint)

I believe I will work on getting 10.1C and see what happens without using the keyword forget list. The only part of the upgrade process that worries me were the pains the team experienced (PRIOR to my arrival) installing Taxware, which appears to work like a wrapper around the _progres program.

I think that will provide one of the proverbial "opportunities" for me to learn something new.

Ohh well, thanks for the suggestions.

 

[tamhas]

So, you were asking about the keyword forget before actually seeing whether you had a problem? If so, the first thing to do is to just try it with no list. I used this feature several time 20 years ago because of some unfortunate choices for field names, but haven't used it in years and years except for a database that is a SQL schema not in my control. You may well have no need for it.

 

[comatt1]

So, you were asking about the keyword forget before actually seeing whether you had a problem? .

Well, with Progress sometimes it is hard to gauge what features have become effectively "obsolete" (which anyone using Progress through a major version upgrade definitely knows); so yeah, I took the "ask before I proceed approach".

I don't have the 20 years experience with Progress, started with 9.1D (about 8 years) ago, so really, I wanted to see if anyone would tell me "DON'T DO IT".

The improvements from 10.0B to the current version of Progress (10.1C, 10.2, etc) are so drastic, I can't blindly accept an answer like "we can't support or certify that version of Progress" from the ERP vendor.

If I hear "because we don't" or "no" again from them I will go wacky(ier).

Do you support this version: No
Do you know if this version works at other facilities: No
Have you attempted to verify or certify you product with this version: No
Why: Because we don't
Can I speak to anyone else about this: [LOOP BACK TO ORIGINAL QUESTION]

-- Can you tell I just got off the phone

Thanks for all the help, at least I have nothing to dissuade from doing the upgrade.

 

[tamhas]

Actually, Progress basically never obselete's anything ... not yet anyway. All they have done is to deprecate some things and those are listed clearly in the documentation. These are all things which are not now considered best practice programming anyway, so one shouldn't be using them in new code, but there isn't actually a lot of worry about having them still hanging around in old code. If one has the budget and opportunity, it would be nice to move forward, but lots and lots of people will just keep on truckin' with those deprecated features.

Tom would like to put some of those deprecated features in the keyword forget file to keep people from using them, but that is just trying to encourage good programming practice. Your issue is simply getting old code working on a new version. Chances are, it will be load and go ... that's what it usually is. Depending on the code, you might have to make some changes and for a certain type of issue the keyword forget list is a fast, easy way to get past the problem temporarily, but it is always better to fix the problem.

So, bottom line, give it a try and let us know if you have problems ... well, ones that you can't solve, anyway.