RE: Prototype for a command parameter.

["Bob Cozzi \(RPGIV\)" <cozzi@xxxxxxxxx>]

Barbara,

This is what continues to confuse people in RPG.
Some data types, like "I" are well known datatypes that are referred to
in a specific way. For example an "Int 2" value, or an "Int 4" value.
Also we hear "16-bit integer". We never hear "5-digit integer" when
referring to these values.

This was a problem with B ("binary") fields as well.

To this day, I have to correct code that is 2i0 instead of 5i0. Why?
Because 2i0 is correct in the minds of the programmer. In fact, "2i" is
correct enough, but "2i0" is acceptable, as if 4i0, 8i0, and 1i0. Even
someone who uses these values everyday of his life, I find myself
wishing the way they were entered was "4i0" instead of 10i0.

To solve this, I've created a /COPY that includes all these data type,
and I've named them INT1, INT2, INT4, and INT8. And I've been using
LIKE(INT4) in my code.  (Please tell me the LIKE'd fields are INT4 and
not packed!)

Bob Cozzi
cozzi@rpgiv.com
Visit the new on-line iSeries Forums at: http://www.rpgiv.com/forum

> -----Original Message-----
> From: rpg400-l-admin@midrange.com [mailto:rpg400-l-admin@midrange.com]
On
> Behalf Of bmorris@ca.ibm.com
> Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 10:07 AM
> To: rpg400-l@midrange.com
> Subject: RE: Prototype for a command parameter.
>
>
> >Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 23:55:03 -0600 (CST)
> >From: Scott Klement <klemscot@klements.com>
> > ...
> >Oh, yes... I knew they added 8-bit integer fields, but I didn't
realize
> >that they continued to expand the (worthless) "B" data type to 8-bits
as
> >well.
>
> Scott, 2B 0 isn't an 8-bit integer.  It's a 16-bit integer, like it
> always was.  2B 0 isn't an expansion.  It's been there "forever" in
RPG
> and DDS at least, and is only supported in ILE RPG for compatibility
> reasons.  (Even if I-binary had been introduced in V3R1, we'd have had
> to keep B-binary.)
>
> You can actually define B fields with any length from 1 to 9, and
> with decimal positions.  RPG B-binary fields are a decimal type, like
> packed and zoned, not an integer type.  The only "binary" thing about
> them is the way they are stored.
>
> Well, you *can* define them, but you shouldn't, except *possibly* to
> save storage for decimal values.  But you should never never never
> (Scott, you obviously already know this, so this isn't for you), you
> should never never never use them when they "match" system binary
> fields (APIs, commands, INFDS etc).
>
> Barbara Morris
>
> "Please miss, is this going to be on the exam?"
>
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