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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - CL (Control Language)
Created by Guest
Created on Jul 9, 2019

RELATED IDEAS

Add support for data structures in CLP

Provide the ability to declare data structures in the CLP language.

Ideally both internally defined and externally defined (based on a physical file, like RPG).

Something like ...

DCLDS NAME(&DSNAME)
DCL VAR(&SUB1) TYPE(*char)
DCL VAR(&SUB2) TYPE(*char)
ENDDS

CHGVAR VAR(&DSNAME.SUB1) VALUE('new value')

External DS would be defined something like this ...

DCLDS NAME(&EXTDSNAME) EXTDEF(PFNAME)


Use Case:

Interacting with API's depends heavily on data structures and using those API's in CL is very cumbersome due to the lack of data structures.

Also, some applications use data queue's with complex data send to the queue. Lack of data structure support in CL makes constructing the queue entry awkward.


Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Nov 30, 2021

    IBM does not intend to provide a solution to this request at this time, so it is being closed.

  • Guest
    Apr 28, 2020

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

  • Guest
    Mar 24, 2020

    The CAAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a medium priority requirement that should be addressed. It would be wonderful to have data structures in CLLE only -- this would greatly improve usability with APIs.

    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/

    Nancy Uthke-Schmucki - CAAC Program Manager

  • Guest
    Feb 13, 2020

    I could also think about something like this

    DCLDS NAME(&EXTDSNAME1) EXTDEF(PFNAME)
    DCLDS NAME(&EXTDSNAME2) LIKE(&EXTDSNAME1)

  • Guest
    Jan 22, 2020

    +1 vote if it supports the IMPORT functionnality
    http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=139578

  • Guest
    Jan 21, 2020

    The functionality is already available with DCLF FILE(extDS)
    What is missing is the IMPORT(someExportedDS) parameter on the DCLF command so we can reference a data struc in a SRVPGM or MODULE

  • Guest
    Oct 25, 2019

    Due to processing by IBM, this request was reassigned to have the following updated attributes:
    Brand - Servers and Systems Software
    Product family - Power Systems
    Product - IBM i
    Component - Languages - CL (Control Language)
    Operating system - IBM i
    Source - None

    For recording keeping, the previous attributes were:
    Brand - Servers and Systems Software
    Product family - Power Systems
    Product - IBM i
    Component - Core OS
    Operating system - IBM i
    Source - None

  • Guest
    Jul 10, 2019

    Use ILE RPG. The QCAPCMD API can run CL commands like a champ. I haven't even written a CL program for years.

  • Guest
    Jul 10, 2019

    While it is true that the CL/LE DCL STG(*DEFINED ) parameter allows the creation of data-structure-like definitions, having explicit data structure support would be *much* easier to use. Implied positioning of subfields within the data structure and dot-syntax for qualifying data structure subfield references would go a *long* way towards simplifying the whole idea of consuming data structures in CL/LE.

  • Guest
    Jul 10, 2019

    Believe we already have it. Not as DCLDS but it works:

    DCL VAR(&STL1090A) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(256) <---- your DCLDS
    DCL VAR(&IAJOBLOG) TYPE(*LGL) STG(*DEFINED) LEN(1) DEFVAR(&STL1090A 1) <---- your subfields
    DCL VAR(&IADEBUG) TYPE(*LGL) STG(*DEFINED) LEN(1) DEFVAR(&STL1090A 2)
    DCL VAR(&IACTLNODE) TYPE(*CHAR) STG(*DEFINED) LEN(8) DEFVAR(&STL1090A 3)

    etc....

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