RE: IFS Open Help...

Scott,

Never ever ever use %ADDR() or a pointer when you've coded
OPTIONS(*STRING) on the prototype.

Actually, you might considering adding "in this context" as this is not a
blanket rule.

"* VALUE OPTION(*STRING)" parameters copy non-pointer values passed on those
parameters to a work variable whose length is at least %len(parmVar)+1. Then a
null is added in the +1 position. 
When passing IFS names, your rule is a good standard and should be followed.
But in some situations, albeit more rare situations, passing %addr() is not only
acceptable, it is more useful.

For example, suppose you have a subprocedure that accepts data in parm 1 (which
is "* VALUE OPTION(*STRING) and the length of that data in parm 2. 
In some situations, the data being sent to the proc is just text so you pass it
like this:

   foo( szData : %len(szData));

The system passes the data to the subproc, and it can be accessed. The Null
terminator is added, but can be ignored because the second parm is specified.

No suppose you have a user space. In that user space is some data that you want
to pass to the subprocedure. If that data is greater than 64k in length, you
can't declare a based variable and pass it, like you would normal fields.
But you can do this:
  Qusptrus('QGPL/MYSTUFF' : pData : apiErrorDS);
  foo(pData : 1000000);

This passes the address of the data in the user space, and tells the subproc
that it is 1 megabyte in size. No conversion is performed and the pointer to
that data is passed to the foo() subprocedure. 

A rare situation, but nonetheless important.

-Bob Cozzi
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