Using LIKE in Prototypes to define fields

Greetings to all,

I hope I can explain our question without to much confusion.

The main idenitying element in our system is a parcel id field defined as 14
alpha.  A couple years back, this field was defined as 11, but needed to be
expanded.  Obviously, this was a large project.  Most of our programs are
written in PL/I, and we are in the process of converting everything to RPG.
If this field should ever need to change again (which it may need to be in
the near future), we want to 'protect' ourselves against the 'large project'
scene.

Now, our problem.  As part of the conversion, we want to use the LIKE
keyword as much as possible.  Typically, there is a screen field or a
database field that can be referenced.  But, what about the times when
neither of those is available.  For instance, this parcel id field is
formatted with dashes.  The user doesn't enter the dashes on a screen, but
the field is stored in the file with the dashes in it.  We have a little
format program (PL/I) that has been rewritten to a procedure in a service
program.  Also, we are trying to use prototyped calls.  Our goal is to
define the prototype in a  /copy that would be in both the calling and the
called program.  To do this, and use the LIKE keyword, the field used in the
LIKE statement must be in both programs.

One option that we came up with, was to create a file that only contains the
parcel id field, define the file in the I specs with UsrOpn.  Then, in the
INIT routine, put a statement ' IF *INLR = *ON', open the file (the open
would never be executed).  With this code, if another field was added to
this file, the program wouldn't need to be recompiled.  This won't work in
the service program, because 'Open' isn't valid when 'NoMain' is specified.

What are my options?

TIA!
Jade Richtsmeier
Programmer/Analyst
MN Counties Information Systems
Grand Rapids, MN


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