RE: SQL RTRIM function

Buzz,

How did you define "field"? If it is NOT varchar (or DDS Varying), then the trim will be ineffective, due to the fixed length default behavior of padding blanks.

If you are intending to introduce "leading blanks" so that your data fills a fixed length, with text aligned on the right, then you must get more clever...

Update library.file
Set field= right(field, int(length(field) - length(rtrim(field))) concat rtrim(field)
Where field>'' and right(field,1)=' ' (i.e. last rightmost character is blank)

-Eric DeLong

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Buzz Fenner
Sent: Monday, April 07, 2014 11:33 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: SQL RTRIM function

I have a character field in a large database file where some of the data is
_not_ right-justified, and needs to be.

I was hoping to do something like this:



Update library.file

Set field=Rtrim(field)

Where field>'' and substr(field,x,x)=' ' (i.e. last rightmost character is
blank)



The statement executes (running as an SQL script in Navigator for i) but the
data is not altered. Is this an improper application of the function?



--

Buzz Fenner

Business Systems Analyst/Systems Administrator

City Water & Light

870.930.3374 | 870.219.5229

bfenner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx