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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Application Development
Created by Guest
Created on Feb 25, 2021

RELATED IDEAS

Implement SST or SUBSTR in RPG IV Built-in Functions

Since integration with SQL is pervasive in RPG IV, it would be beneficial (particularly with new-hires) to have RPG support consistent components with SQL.
To that end, the SQL language uses SUBSTR or SUBSTRING for the Substring function, while CL uses %SST or %SUBSTRING.

RPG on the other had, uses a legacy-limited %SUBST() which was named based on the limit of 5-character Operation Codes in RPGIII.
Muscle memory comes into play here and %SUBSTR() is nearly always typed for me, but %SST() would also be wonderful. #AnythingButSUBST is what I'm thinking here. So the request is to add either %SUBSTR() or %SST() to the RPG IV language as a built-in function.


Use Case:

While coding in RPG IV, particularly using the RDi environment, typing %SUBSTR is accepted but gives you a compilers error because it is NOT part of RPG. It is a similar name to what SQL uses.
If we are coding Embedded SQL in RPG IV, we have to code this:
EXEC SQL SELECT SUBSTR(ZIPCODE, 1,5) FROM ...
But in RPG IV immediately following that SQL code, we'd have to code this:
IF (%SUBST(ZIPCODE:1:5) = '60639');


Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Mar 1, 2021

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

    Synonyms for keywords, built-in functions, and operation codes will not be introduced to the RPG language.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Feb 26, 2021

    It has always been SUBST so the most logical choice is %SubSt... otherwise we can request to call it %Mid as well.

    Each language has its specific instructions... that's part of learning the language syntax.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Feb 26, 2021

    I agree with this. It is really annoying with these different names for the same.
    I have the problem with %EDITC() versus the DDS keyword EDTCDE.
    How many times haven't I written %EDTCDE()…...

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