Re: How to return null on a PI

Normally I would alternate case on a PI.  However I plan on using this 
with SQL UDF's and they are so picky.

Returning null instead of a dummy value would allow me to 
select testchar, coalasce(stripemail(testchar), 'oh crud') from myfile
But as I now see that's just moving the replacing of the dummy character 
from the RPG to the SQL.  Still, there may be other things I want to do 
versus coalasce.

Buck, Since I am using this in a UDF I am not interested in an additional 
parameter for in/out processing.  Can be done, but really complicates 
where I use it.  I understand what you are saying about the C method. 
However doesn't system() export a separate variable? 

Rob Berendt
-- 
"All creatures will make merry... under pain of death."
-Ming the Merciless (Flash Gordon)




Barbara Morris <bmorris@xxxxxxxxxx> 
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01/14/2004 05:30 PM
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Re: How to return null on a PI






rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
>      P STRIPEMAIL      B                   export
>      D STRIPEMAIL      PI                  like(EmailAddress)
>      D  SourceString                512a   const
> 

If EmailAddress is a pointer, you can return *NULL (so I guess it's not
a pointer :).  If it's a varying string, you could return ''.  If you
mean something like an ALWNULL field, you can't.

You could define a named constant with your prototype with a value that
is nonsense for your procedure.

D STRIPEMAIL_NULL    c            'x'

caller:
    ret = STRIPEMAIL (string)
    if ret = STRIPEMAIL_NULL
       ...

Stripe Mail? (Ya, I know, Strip Email).

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