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Status Future consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Aug 31, 2023

RELATED IDEAS

Create a varying length field with the length from a fixed length field 

It often happens that I have a field from a database og a screen that is fixed length and have to create a field that is varying length but having the same size as the fixed length.

unfortunately it is not possible to do this:
dcl-s fixedField         char(40);  // this field will normally come from a database or a screen
dcl-s varField           varchar( %size(fixedField) );

or this
dcl-c fixedFieldSize       %size(fixedField);
dcl-s varField             varchar( fixedFieldSize );

So I have to hardcode it:
dcl-s fixedField         char(40);
dcl-s varField           varchar(40);
But it would be nice if it could be done so we don't have to hardcode it
Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Dec 18, 2023

    Another way of doing it could be that it is possible to override the format like this

    dcl-s varField           like(fixedField) varchar;
    dcl-s packedField        like(zonedField) packed;
    The characteristics of the field is inherited but the format is overridden to varying or packed format.
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Oct 19, 2023
    IBM will use this Idea as input to planning, but no commitment is made or implied. This Idea 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 Idea.

    If this Idea is implemented, it would most likely involve new syntax for the LIKE keyword.

    - IBM Power Systems Development
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 25, 2023

    That works for me, but FixedField must be defined in the same procedure, and it must be defined before the dcl-pi.

    ctl-opt nomain;
    dcl-proc p;
    dcl-s fixedfield char(10);
    dcl-pi *n varchar(%len(fixedfield));
    end-pi;
    return 'x';
    end-proc;

    If Fixedfield is a global field, you could define a named constant with the length, and use that named constant in the procedure.

    ctl-opt nomain;
    dcl-s FixedField char(10);
    dcl-c FixedFieldLen %LEN(FixedField);
    dcl-proc p;
    dcl-pi *n varchar(FixedFieldLen);
    end-pi;
    return 'x';
    end-proc;

    - Barbara Morris

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 25, 2023

    But it's not working on parm definition:

    Dcl-pi *n varchar(%len(FixedField));

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 6, 2023

    Thank you very much for the tip how to do it.

    I will suggest that it is included in the RPG manuals.


  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Aug 31, 2023

    You can use %LEN to get the length of the fixed-length field.

    dcl-s fixedField char(40);
    dcl-s varField varchar(%len(fixedField));

    If you want the defined length of a varying field, you have to use %LEN(*MAX).

    dcl-s varField2 varchar(40);
    dcl-s fixedField2 char(%len(varField2 : *max));

    However ... To use %LEN like this in a definition, the field specified in the %LEN keyword has to already be defined. So if the %LEN field is coming from an externally-described file, you'd have to define a externally-described data structure and use the subfields for %LEN.

    dcl-f myDbFile;
    dcl-f myScreens workstn;

    dcl-ds myFileDefs extname('MYDBFILE') qualified template;
    end-ds;
    // might have to define several data structures for screen fields, one for each format
    dcl-ds screen1Defs extname('MYSCREENS' : 'SCREEN1' : *all) qualified template;
    end-ds;

    dcl-s varField varchar(%len(myFileDefs.someField));
    dcl-s varField2 varchar(%len(screen1Defs.someOtherField));

    - Barbara Morris

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