Re: RPG400-L Digest V3 #257

[Jon.Paris@xxxxxx]

 >> Yeah, but wouldn't it be nice it if was? :)

Yes - but it is not as simple as that or I suspect the RPG team would have
done it.

Problem (in part) lies in the fact that RPG treats one name = one piece of
storage.  In COBOL or C if I have the same field name in two different
files (D/B and Display for example) then that is two separate fields - not
so in RPG.

Imagine then that I detect that a field is null and want to show the
operator the text "No data supplied" rather than whatever garbage is in the
field.  The minute I move that text into the display field the field is now
non-null - guess what happens if I write it back to the database!  This is
just one example of the little minefields waiting to be discovered in this
area.

Jon Paris
Jon.Paris@e400.com

www.e400.com - A new wave of iSeries and AS/400 Education

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