Re: Varying - Inz mandatory?

[Mel Rothman <mel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Question #1
-----------
Because the varying field is is an uninitialized data structure, 
everything in the data structure is set to blanks (x'40') INCLUDING 
the 2 bytes of the varying field's length.

Because 2 blanks are x'4040', which is 16,448 decimal, the length is 
invalid for a field declared as 256 bytes.

If you add the inz keyword to the error DS, subfield code will be 
initialized to blanks; subfield description will be initialized to 
blanks but its length will be set to 0, x'0000'.

Alternatively, executing
  reset error;
in the appropriate location in the code, resets all the subfields to 
the same values as the inz keyword does, even if there is no inz 
keyword on the data structure.

Question #2
-----------
The actual storage occupied by a varying variable is 2 + its declared 
size.

The additional 2 bytes are located at the beginning of the field and 
contain its length.

The maximum declared size for a varying field is 65535, making the 
maximum actual size including the length 65537.

Mel Rothman
Mel Rothman, Inc.



Bartell, Aaron L. (TC) wrote:
> I have a couple VARYING questions.
>
> Question #1.
>
> D error           DS                  Qualified
> D  code                         10A
> D  description                 256A   Varying
>  /Free
>
>   If error.description <> ' ';
>     error.code = '0';
>   EndIf;
>   *InLR = *On;
>
>  /End-Free  
>
> I get a 'Length of varying length variable is out of range.' error message
> if I don't Inz the error DS or the description subfield.  This wouldn't be a
> problem if in the documentation they said that you needed to Inz
> DS's/subfields if they have VARYING fields.  At least I can't seem to find
> where it might state that, and I have looked both in the WDSc docs and Info
> Center. Do you have to Inz or occupy a field before you can check to see if
> it contains a value?  I am on V5R1.  
>
>
> Question #2
> If I define two fields defined as this. . .
>
> D temp        D           256A   Varying
> D temp2       D         32767A   Varying
>
> If both fields contain the value 'Hi there' is temp2 taking up more space or
> processing than temp?  Or doesn't it matter anymore now that I have VARYING
> specified on each field?
>
> TIA,
> Aaron Bartell
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