Re: Proposal for New RPG BIF

[Vern Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think there is precedent to add functions that used to be only in SQL, 
to add them as %BIFs in RPG. Examples include the LEFT and RIGHT 
functions in SQL - a quick look showed me they were in 7.1 of SQL on IBM 
i, and they were not new then.

So %left and %right were not long ago added in IBM i 7.5 TR3 and 7.4 
TR9. We can very simply use embedded SQL functions, of course, yet, at 
the same time, I'm less interested in using an SQLRPGLE member for a 
simple or single function like this. The community can vote on it - we 
shall see what happens!

Cheers
Vern

On 7/31/2024 12:56 AM, Birgitta Hauser wrote:
> You have a SPACE scalar function in SQL ... so just use embedded SQL and you
> have the function.
>
> Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards
>
> Birgitta Hauser
> Modernization – Education – Consulting on IBM i
> Database and Software Architect
> IBM Champion since 2020
>
> "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." (Les
> Brown)
> "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." (Derek Bok)
> "What is worse than training your staff and losing them? Not training themCAN
> and keeping them!"
> "Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they
> don't want to. " (Richard Branson)
> "Learning is experience … everything else is only information!" (Albert
> Einstein)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Javier
> Sanchez
> Sent: Wednesday, 31 July 2024 06:01
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@lists.midrangecom>
> Subject: Proposal for New RPG BIF
>
> Team,
>
> Honestly, I didn't want to go and look for the already posted proposals for
> new TRs in RPG.
>
> If this already exists and was rejected, just throw me a lot of rotten eggs
> (LOL).
>
> I am thinking of a new BIF: %SPACES(nSpaces)
>
> This would help a lot to stuff in a string a number of spaces when
> concatenating several pieces of other strings.
>
> Example:
>
> stmfString = var1 + %SPACES(50) + var2 + %SPACES(20);
>
> The literal number of spaces can also be a variable containing a valid
> positive value for the number of spaces to stuff in.
>
> Opinions?  (Or rotten eggs).
>
> Thanks,
>
> JS
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