RE: Varying length field issue

[cozzi@xxxxxxxxx]

   To clear a varying field do either of these:
    
    C  eval   myVarFld = ''
   or
    C  eval   %len(myVarFld) = 0
    
   If you assign *BLANKS, then the entire field is set to blanks and the
   field's length will be its declared length.
    
   -Bob Cozzi

     -------- Original Message --------
     Subject: Varying length field issue
     From: "Jeff Crosby" <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
     Date: Mon, February 09, 2004 8:48 am
     To: "'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'" <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

     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.

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