RE: Initializing a timestamp field when adding a record

["Reeve Fritchman" <reeve@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This explanation makes sense; unfortunately, the documentation doesn't.  

You don't want the system "helping" you by automatically posting values to
fields you want to keep "empty" (like timestamp indicating a "last use").

A before trigger is an excellent suggestion but my requirement is simple;
adding another line of code to the program is the best solution (it provides
the desired result with minimal code and no confusion).

Doug, thanks...

-reeve

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@midrange.com
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@midrange.com] On Behalf Of Douglas Handy
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 10:43 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Initializing a timestamp field when adding a record 

Reeve,

>Am I mis-reading or was it mis-written?  I'm mis-tified.

I believe the DFT() value, or in your case, the implied default of the
current
time, is only applied when using a record format excluding the field.  Thus
when
you used a LF without the timestamp field, the PF received the current time.
Similarly, if you used a SQL INSERT without naming the field, it would also
receive the current time.

In your second DFU (the one without the timestamp field), did you use the PF
record format name?  If so, that would explain the behavior.  In that case
you
in essence named the field by virtue of it being in the format, and thus are
responsible for populating the field.

In RPG if you name the PF format you have the same situation -- the default
does
not apply anymore.

If you don't want to use a LF which excludes the timestamp field, another
option
would be to create a *Before trigger which allows repeating changes, and
modify
the record buffer to include the current time (and possibly user ID, etc).

Doug
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