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Status Future consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Oct 17, 2017

RELATED IDEAS

Make %dec() 2nd & 3rd parm optional

The %dec() function should be able to detect the length and decimal positions of the target variable when converting from a character field.


Use Case:

Currently, when using the %dec() function to convert from a character field, you're forced to specify the length and decimal positions as the second and third parameters. Most often that means you simply find the definition for the target variable and copy the length and decimal positions. This can cause issues later if the target field changes, because you have to find every %dec() and change it as well.


Idea priority Low
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Aug 24, 2020

    The CEAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a HIGH priority requirement that is important to address.
    This will remove the need hard coding field and column sizes direct in RPG code is the implicit reason of how it works today.

    Background: The COMMON Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CEAC has a crucial role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual RFEs on the broader IBM i community and has therefore reviewed your RFE.

    To find out how CEAC help to shape the future of IBM i, see CEAC @ ibm.biz/BdYSYj and the article "The Five Hottest IBM i RFEs Of The Quarter" at ibm.biz/BdYSZT

    Therese Eaton – CEAC Program Manager, IBM

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Apr 17, 2020

    This request is still a candidate to be an enhancement for the RPG compiler.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Apr 4, 2018

    IBM will use this request as input to planning but no commitment is made or implied. This request will be updated in the future if IBM implements it. IBM will use votes and comments from others in the community to help prioritize this request.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Jan 15, 2018

    IBM has received the requirement and is evaluating it. IBM will provide a response after evaluation is complete.

    If this request is implemented, it would only be possible when the %DEC or %DECH was the entire right-hand-side of an assignment statement. It would not be possible if %DEC or %DECH was part of an expression, or used in a comparison statement.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Nov 30, 2017

    The CAAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a “nice to have” low priority feature.

    The use case defines the issue well -- if you change the length of the target field, it is painful to go through and change all instances of the dec() function for that variable.

    Background: The COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CAAC has a key role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual RFEs on the broader IBM i community, and has therefore reviewed your RFE.

    For more information about CAAC, see www.common.org/caac

    For more details about CAAC's role with RFEs, see http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/Blogs/i-Can/May-2017/COMMON-Americas-Advisory-Council-%28CAAC%29-and-RFEs/

    Dawn May - CAAC Program Manager

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Oct 18, 2017

    If you define a named constant for length and decimal positions, your code will be able to "flex" with changes and avoid the maintenance.
    D CharField S 12A
    D Field S 12P 2

    D FieldLen C %Len( Field )
    D FieldDecPos C %DecPos( Field )

    C Field = %Dec( CharField: FieldLen: FieldDecPos

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