Re: Logical File with Field being substringed as a Key

Getting character data to numeric is a royal pain in the Query/400 neck ... 
allegedly it can be done through the time stamp function ... I have seen a 
lot of examples with people spelling out step by step how to do that, but 
when I have tried to do it I cannot get it to work & this weekend on the 
trade zine sub-forums of Query/400 discussion I learn that padded blanks are 
my problem - I do not remember which one it was - I was in several ... you 
might check out these two, both of which have a bunch of threads on Query 
challenges:
http://www.as400network.com/communities/
http://www.midrangecomputing.com/forums/

But I am also still having a hassle with Query/400 date math, even though 
BPCS_L spelled out the answers in novice step by step detail.

Getting character data to numeric is real easy in RPG ... if you know certain 
substring characters always supposed to be numeric & extract, then overlay 
via data structure with numerically defined field, but hit one piece of bad 
data & you got a decimal data error ... now there is some way to test data 
for non-numeric content before you do this, and bypass the bad data.

>  From:    dpanco43@ix.netcom.com (Debbie Panco)

>  It is my understanding that the digits function converts numeric data to
>  character.  What I want is the opposite.  I want to take a 25 character
>  alpha field and extract positions 8 & 9 that I know will always contain
>  numeric data.  then I want to call those 2 positions a numeric field so 
that
>  I can do calcs with it.  I don't see how your digits function will help me
>  here.

With the time stamp function, if you have 6 characters that you know are 
numeric, which could include some numbers you just plugged in via 
concatenation to get this to work, and of course you will plug in leading 
zeros for your string so that the end result calcs will be meaningful.

The URL given in the BPCS_L discussion on this was
http://as400service.rochester.ibm.com/
folder
Tech Info & Databases
Software Knowlege Base
search for document # 4892030
then for what it says about TIMESTAMP accepting character string as valid 
time stamp including 6 digit microsecond so 6 digit some other number really 
be there

Al Macintyre  ©¿©
http://www.cen-elec.com MIS Manager Programmer & Computer Janitor
The road to success is always under construction.
When in doubt, read the manual, assuming you can find the right one.
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