Provide an %UPPER and %LOWER bif

IBM believes that the request described has been solved and is available with PTFs for 7.3 and 7.4.

7.3
ILE RPG runtime: SI76098 - you need this PTF on any 7.3 system where you run a program with %LOWER or %UPPER
ILE RPG compiler: SI76100

7.4
ILE RPG runtime: SI76099 - you need this PTF on any 7.4 system where you run a program with %LOWER or %UPPER
ILE RPG compiler: SI76101
ILE RPG compiler for TGTRLS(V7R3M): SI76109

For more information about the new %LOWER and %UPPER built-in functions, see https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6442065

IBM agrees with the request and a solution will be available in the future.

For more information about %LOWER and %UPPER, see https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6442065.

Indeed nice to have.
Escaping to SQL or C just to do a character conversion is a pity.
Remember that such function will cover different CCSIDs seamlessly (like unicode etc.).

I've been requested to add the following to this RFE:
Include OPTION(*UPPER | *LOWER) to the OPTION parameter keyword for prototypes and procedures in RPG IV.
Please see my new RFE on just that specific enhancement which should be introduced concurrently with %UPPER/%LOWER

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=147289

In the interim, you may find Paul Tuohy's SQLSCALAR utility useful, if not just for LOWER and UPPER bifs, but others as well:
https://www.itjungle.com/2016/11/15/fhg111516-story01/

You can use the QlgConvertCase API (wrap it in a procedure) to have full codepage support.

BTW, just add %CamelCase as well please.

Heck, even CL now has %UPPER and %LOWER bifs. Surely we can keep up with the functionality that CL has, can't we?

The CEAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a HIGH priority requirement that is important to address.
Keep the RPG language up to date with other languages and to keep away the argument of moving away from RPG.

Background: The COMMON Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CEAC has a crucial role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual RFEs on the broader IBM i community and has therefore reviewed your RFE.

To find out how CEAC help to shape the future of IBM i, see CEAC @ ibm.biz/BdYSYj and the article "The Five Hottest IBM i RFEs Of The Quarter" at ibm.biz/BdYSZT

Therese Eaton – CEAC Program Manager, IBM

For developers waiting a CCSID-safe interface to make upper or lower case work today, and who don't want to use the very reliable QlgConvertCase API, you can use SQL to do this:

EXEC SQL VALUES upper( :Company ) INTO :Company;

This request is still a candidate to be an enhancement for the RPG compiler.

One of the many BIF that are in other languages but not in RPG. I would add %proper() to it.

name = 'bARBARA mORRIS';
dsply name; // 'bARBARA mORRIS'

name = %proper(name);
dsply name; // 'Barbara Morris'

I would also add
a = %isnull(name); // a='0' because name <> null
b = %isalpha(name); // b='1' because it is all alphabets
c = %isnumeric(name); // c='0' because it is not numeric

The CAAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a “nice to have” low priority feature. This will be particularly useful, as the author mentioned, when characters have accents on them.

Background: The COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CAAC has a key role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual RFEs on the broader IBM i community, and has therefore reviewed your RFE.

For more information about CAAC, see www.common.org/caac

For more details about CAAC's role with RFEs, see http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/Blogs/i-Can/May-2017/COMMON-Americas-Advisory-Council-%28CAAC%29-and-RFEs/

Dawn May - CAAC Program Manager

Long overdue. I would prefer adding %PROPER to it i.e. "abcd EFGH" be translated to "Abcd Efgh".

It is not only for ease of use, it is also to have more standarization.

It is no problem for the programmers to code "uppervalue = %xlate(lo:up:lowervalue)", and add or copy from a copy-member 2 constants. or have it in a external program-subprocedure. But this approach make it not standard. One programmer is using %XLATE, another programmer is using an external program, another one is using an external procedure, another one is using an internal procedure etc.

If IBM add the %UPPER and %LOWER bif so many individual user routine will be eliminated and the code will be more satndard.

A similar request for standarization I wrote here:
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=104154

IBM will use this request as input to planning but no commitment is made or implied. This request 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 request.

IBM has received the requirement and is evaluating it. IBM will provide a response after evaluation is complete.

Creating a new RFE based on Community RFE #92793 in product IBM i.