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In the future, RPG may support defining a variable LIKE an enumeration, as described in Idea IBMI-I-2902 (https://ibm-power-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/IBMI-I-2902), in the comment about a "typed enum" from Oct 14, 2020.
If that additional aspect of enumerations is implemented, then this Idea could also be implemented, with the following possible support:
dcl-enum good_bad varchar(20);
good 'good';
bad 'bad';
end-enum;
dcl-something like(good_bad);
something = good;
After the assignment of "good" to "something" ...
if not something.bad;
would mean the same as this:
if something <> bad;
- IBM Power Systems Development
Maybe combine this with an enum-like construct?
dcl-enum something varchar(20) qualified;
good index(1) value('good');
bad index(2) value('bad');
end-enum;
something = good;
if not something.bad;
// ....
endif;
That would work for both.
IBM will use votes and comments from others in the community to help evaluate this Idea.
IBM will provide a response after evaluation is complete.
- IBM Power Systems Development
Today to accomplish this you have to either:
1. Define FLAG-ON and FLAG-OFF as constants, then use IF FLAG = FLAG-ON/OFF instead of IF FLAG-ON/OFF; or
2. Define FLAG-ON and FLAG-OFF as indicators (booleans) and set them with FLAG-ON/OFF = (FLAG = 'Y'/'N'), then use IF FLAG-ON/OFF; although the indicator won't get reset if the value of FLAG changes like the 88 level does in COBOL.