RE: XLATE

From: Chris Bipes <chris.bipes@cross-check.com>
Subject: RE: XLATE
Chris wrote:
>Thank You Hans for your explanation of why variable length fields sometime
>work and other times don't.  I missed the part about fix calcs not setting
>the size of varying length fields.  I do understand your reasoning for
doing
>so.  If I had a chance to vote on how to implement variable length fields,
I
>would have voted for fixed calc specs setting the length of the variable
>length result fields.  I know it is to late to change it and don't expect
>you to.  I will keep the behavior in mind and use them correctly in the
>future.

Well, we had first intended for the length to be changed on the fixed
form calcs as well.  But the rules got very complicated very quickly.
For example,  how do you do a right-adjusted MOVE with varying length
result?  So we decided to simplify matters and have just one rule for
all the fixed form calcs.

Anyways,  by V5R1,  you shouldn't need to worry much about fixed form
calcs anymore.  We've got lots of new BIFs you can use instead of the
fixed calcs, and you can use them on the new free-form calc. In V5R1,
you can do all  string manipulation, and even all date/time/timestamp
operations in expressions.  For many applications,  you'll never need
to code a fixed syntax calc again!

>I did know about the %xlate and tried it but SEU and the compiler did not
>like it.  I am at 4.4.

Well, like I said, %XLATE is a new V5R1 feature.   Be patient.  Watch
for the signs!

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

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