Varying length field issue

["Jeff Crosby" <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've got a program where I build part of the print line in a field called
PrintInfo.  I decided to make this a Varying field (which I have used
before) to avoid a lot of %Trim.  PrintInfo could be blank on the printout,
or it could have any number of different possibilities in it.

The output wasn't coming out right.  What I found is, if a Varying length
field is blank (because I cleared it first), appending to it with an Eval
does not work:

C                   Eval      PrintInfo = *Blanks 
 * If there was a PO number, add that verbeage                  
C                   If        MQCSPO <> *Blanks                 
C                   Eval      PrintInfo = PrintInfo + ' PO#=' + 
C                                         %Trim(MQCSPO)         
C                   Endif                                       

Even though the second Eval statement is executed, PrintInfo is still blanks
afterward.  I temporarily put an "Eval PrintInfo = '.'" spec in there so the
field wasn't empty and then it works fine.

Can someone confirm the same behavior on another iSeries, namely that
appending data to an empty Varying length field fails?  If this is the
expected behavior, I'll have to try some other ways to do it.  It doesn't
make common sense for me to check every time whether the field is blank
before appending.

-- 
Jeff Crosby
Dilgard Frozen Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 13369
Ft. Wayne, IN 46868-3369
260-422-7531

The opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the opinion of my
company.  Unless I say so.