RE: RPG - conversion vs re-write

[John Carr <74711.77@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

RE:     RE: RPG - conversion vs re-write

>Bob Cozzi <BobCozzi@ibm.net> wrote:
>>We do NOT have null values in dates, or any other fields. There is a NULL
>>INDICATOR, however.
>>
>><snip>

>Hans said;  There's nothing wrong with the implementation of null-capable
>fields in RPG.  I have my concerns about the design, but the
>implementation is just fine!
<snip>
>But I suspect that that's not what you are complaining about.  Is it
>that you don't like the whole concept of what a null-capable field really
>is?  As you know (or should know), the "nullness" of a field is not a
>value of the field, but rather, some sort of dynamic attribute of the
>field.  It is an indication of the presence or absence of data within
>that field.  That guided our design of %NULLIND in RPG.  We did not
>want to "nullify" a null-capable field by allowing something like *NULL
>to be assigned to it.  *NULL is a value, and not an attribute.  %NULLIND
>emphasizes the point that nullness is an attribute, and is independent
>of the actual data.

>Cheers!  Hans

Well Hans, that's consistent with the parms being passed to a DB Trigger
program.  It passes a byte for every field in the format that represents
the condition of the field (Null or Not Null) .  Never did look at the 
actual data in the record buffer to see what's actually there though. 
(we don't use null's yet.)  

If a field is flagged as "NULL" what value would my RPG program actually
see in it?
If alpha?  If binary? If numeric?  if Date?  

John Carr 
EdgeTech
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