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Status Submitted
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Sep 5, 2025

RELATED IDEAS

Add a preserve/overlay operation extender to the EVAL opcode.

When migrating the MOVE and MOVEL opcodes to free format, simple assignments are often the right choice. But in some cases, the MOVEL operation is effectively an integrated/implied substring operation. 

        MOVEL 'ABC'      CHAR20 

Only replaces the first 3 bytes of CHAR20.

However if converting this to free format, then the resulting equivalent expression is:

    %SUBST(CHAR20 : 1 :  %LEN('ABC')) = 'ABC'

If both F2 and Result are fields, then it gets even more ugly:

 

        MOVEL CODE3      CHAR20 

  %SUBST(CHAR20 : (%LEN(CHAR20) - %MIN(%LEN(CODE3) : %LEN(CHAR20))) + 1  : %MIN(%LEN(CODE3) : %LEN(CHAR20))) = CODE3;

What I'm asking for is this:

   eval(S) char20 = code3;

 

Idea priority Urgent
  • Guest
    Oct 23, 2025

    Using the %left / %right function to the left side has been suggested here
    https://ibm-power-systems.ideas.ibm.com/ideas/IBMI-I-3999

    I find this suggestion is better.

    Reply
  • Guest
    Oct 20, 2025

    I always thought it would be better to allow %left() and %right() on the left side of an evaluation; in fact, I keep trying to code it that way but the compiler hates it!

    %left( char20: %len( code3 ) ) = code3;

     

    Reply

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