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Status Functionality already exists
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 12, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

Enhance %CHAR to prevent full zero-suppression

Today there is no way to generate a result when less than 1.00 that includes that first leading zero. As in '0.53'. The result is always '.53'. See code below (sorry I can seem to get embedded line-feeds to appear in this RFE):

dcl-s sales Packed(7 : 2)  Inz(0.53);

dcl-s cgi_Sales char(20);

  cgiSales = %char(sales);

  //  CGISALES = '.53'


My user's dislike this.

There is the DECEDIT ctl-opt keyword, however I end up with: '0,53' instead (note the comma instead of period).

Changing the DECFMT JOB attribute and then compiling with DECEDIT(*JOBRUN) provides similar results '0,53' #sad

I'd like to simply use %CHAR or similar, and have an extra parameter that says "don't fully zero suppressed. Perhaps something similar to:

%char( sales : 1);

where the 2nd parameter is the number of significant digits to the left of the decimal notation to retain regardless of the value.

I even tried creating a user-defined Edit code, but apparently IBM i now ships with all 5 available edit codes pre-loaded. So we can't really use that.

Today my solution is:

if (sales < 1);
   cgiSales = '0' + %char(sales);
else;
   cgisales = %char(sales);
endif;
Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Mar 26, 2026

    Okay, so the documentation that indicates 0 followed by a coma also supports a 0 followed by a decimal point/period. Thanks. Did know that.

    Reply
  • Guest
    Mar 26, 2026
    Thank you for taking the time to submit your Idea. However, an enhancement to RPG is not necessary for %CHAR to always provide the leading zero.

    RPG has always supported DECEDIT('0.'). This causes %CHAR to include the leading zero if the value is less than 1.

    https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.6.0?topic=keywords-deceditjobrun-value

    - IBM Power Systems Development
    Reply
  • Guest
    Mar 26, 2026

    Wouldn't it be a better idea, to add a Format in the second parameter (similar to the VARCHAR_FORMAT function in SQL)? 

    But contrary to SQL it would be great if the decimal pointer could be either dot or comma!

    Something like this: %Char(MyNumber: '9,999,990.00');

    Reply

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