Re: XLATE

Chris wrote:
> Has any one had problems using XLATE?
>
> d pRawMicrParse   pi            10i 0
> d  RawMicrIn                    80a   const varying
>
> d RawMicr         s             80a   inz  varying
>
> d cTOAD           c                   const('TOAD 0123456789')
> d ctoadl          c                   const('toad 0123456789')
>
> c     ctoadl:cTOAD  XLATE     RawMicrIn     RawMicr
>
> RawMicrIn = 't123456789t 1234 456789o    a123456a'
> RawMicr = '' after the XLATE.
>
> but:
> c                   EVAL      RawMicr = RawMicrIn
> c     ctoadl:cTOAD  XLATE     RawMicr       RawMicr
> returns:
> RawMicrIn = 'T123456789T 1234 456789O    A123456A'
>
> What Gives?

Simon already gave a good answer to the question.  I'd just
like to add that the behavior is a basic principle behind
using varying length strings in the old fixed-form calc
specs.

In a fixed-form calc, a varying length field works exactly
the same as a fixed length field with the same current
length.  That is, if the current length of a varying length
field is 17, it is treated as a fixed length A(17) field,
regardless of how long the field is actually declared.  It
was designed this way to handle the semantics of the fixed-
form character operations.  For example, many of the fixed-
form calcs, such as MOVE, don't change the entire result
field.  Some modify only the right-most characters, others
only the left-most characters.  Since EVAL changes the
entire result, it can assign a length properly.

(BTW, I always like to advertize V5R1 RPG IV features, and
here's a good opportunity to mention the new %XLATE built-in
function.)

Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com

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