Re: Benefits of declaring literals in D-specs

Named constants can't be used as host variables in imbedded SQL. This
technique can be used as a work-around:

d is_active c '1'
exec sql select * from atable where rcd_status = :is_active

! Host variable not defined


d is_active c '1'
d active_code s 1a inz( is_active )
exec sql select * from atable where rcd_status = :active_code

! Success

On 5/3/07, Kent Hohlen <khohlen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Thanks for all the input. Let me add this to the mix.

Let's talk about fields initialized with a value. Like below.

D Print s Like( @Button )
Inz( 'Print' )

/Free
If @Button = Print;
Do_something;
EndIf;
/End-Free

Compared to this.

/Free
If @Button = 'Print';
Do_something;
EndIf;
/End-Free

What I like about the first example over the second is validation. If I
compare 10 different fields to Print, I'm guaranteed that each field will
be
comparing for the value of (Print). But if I use the second example to
compare 10 different fields to the value of ('Print'), then the only
guarantee that I have is that the field will only be compared to the value
that I typed in 10 times. In the first example, if I type If @Button =
Prnt, the compiler will kick it out as an error. In the second example,
if
I type it like this If @Button = 'Prnt' or like this If @Button = 'print',
the only indication I'll get that there is a problem is when the program
doesn't work as expected and I'll have to debug it.

Kent Hohlen
Eagle Window And Door
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