RE: calling programs with parameters from the command line

My thanks to all who responded. The feedback provided helped my do what was
needed.

Thanks again.


Roy Luce
Systems Plus - Midwest

Direct: 847-540-9635
800-913-PLUS (7587)
Cell: 847-910-0884
Email: rluce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vern Hamberg
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 3:21 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: calling programs with parameters from the command line

Roy

No one has exactly told you why this happens. The system has to make
some assumptions when you pass literal values as parameters. The program
is expecting certain data types, but literals have no data type. The
system assumes that numbers are 15 digit packed with 5 decimal places.
For character literals, it will pad values out to 32 characters with
blanks. So if you have a literal value of 'fred' - the system will pass
a value of 'fred '. That causes a problem
with parameters that are declared as longer than 32 characters - because
things called have parameters passed by reference (pointers), you get
whatever is in memory after position 32. Danger! Danger! Will Robinson!!!

The FAQ that Jerry pointed to is very good. It says very little about
the numeric situation, however, so here is a link to a wiki article on
our company website with links to the IBM documentation about all this -
http://wiki.rjssoftware.com/wiki/index.php/Padding_a_character_parameter_whe
n_calling_a_program

The article specifically deals with the character literals issue, but
the links at IBM will say more about the numeric literals problem.

HTH
Vern

lwl wrote:

Okay, I have to ask.

But before I ask, a couple of definitions:
Bytes are 8 bits, nibbles are half a byte or 4 bits.
Packed fields use consecutive nibbles to store values
Unpacked fields use consecutive bytes to store values

So the question is: if the RPG program declares a parameter as 7,0 field
does that mean it is automatically a packed field and, by definition,

using

consecutive nibbles to store the value?


Roy Luce
Systems Plus - Midwest

Direct: 847-540-9635
800-913-PLUS (7587)
Cell: 847-910-0884
Email: rluce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lloyd Bailey
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 10:22 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: calling programs with parameters from the command line


You need to pass numeric parameters as hex. Your call will look like...

Call pgm1 (X'0000087F')

The rules with hex values is the last position must end in F. The amount

of

positions between the single quotes (including the F) must be an even
amount. For instance, if your parameter was defined as 2,0 and you wanted

to

pass the value of 99, the hex value will look like...
X'099F' = 99 for the 2,0 parameter value and an extra 0 to make the amount
of positions between the quotes an even amount.

Hope this helps
Lloyd Bailey
Office: (631) 244-2165
Cell: (631) 445-5344
Fax: (631) 200-6113

"lwl"

<lwl@xxxxxxxxxxxx

m> To

Sent by: <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

midrange-l-bounce cc

s@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject

calling programs with parameters

09/01/2009 11:04 from the command line

AM

Please respond to

Midrange Systems

Technical

Discussion

<midrange-l@midra

nge.com>

To all



As you cal tell from this question I'm new to the 400/iSeries environment.



I want to call a program (pgm1) with one parameter (PRM01) from the

command

line.

The parameter is 7,0 in the program and the value I want to pass is 87



I think the command line entry is:



Call pgm1 (0000087)



Obviously this is wrong because the program abends on a data error when I
use the above instruction format.



What should the command line entry look like?





Roy Luce

Systems Plus - Midwest



Direct: 847-540-9635

800-913-PLUS (7587)

Cell: 847-910-0884

Email: rluce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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