RE: BIFs requiring constants = frustrating

[Kurt Anderson <kurt.anderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Rory,

Yeah, that's essentially what I've done.  I just felt like ranting, and also opening it up in case I was taking the long way of going about coding my procedure.  

Thanks for the response.

-Kurt

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Rory Hewitt
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 11:03 AM
To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i
Subject: Re: BIFs requiring constants = frustrating

Kurt,

Until IBM allows variables in these BIF's, you could just write a procedure
which does basic numeric->character conversion for you, so in your in-line
code, you simply have this:

rtnAmount = charValue( Amount : w_DecPos : editCode : '*CURSYM' );

I know, I know, it's not ideal (and it sounds like you may already do (or
want to do) this anyway, but at least you have a single line in your in-line
code, which can eventually be replaced with the variable-allowed-BIF...

Rory

On Tue, Apr 6, 2010 at 8:35 AM, Kurt Anderson
<kurt.anderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> %kds - number of keys to use has to be a constant
> %dec - length and decimal positions have to be constants
> %editc - edit code has to be constant
>
> I'm working with amounts that I'm writing to XML.  They can have differing
> decimal precision based on the client processed.  I thought, wonderful, I
> can create a procedure, pass in some parameters, and simply insert those
> parms into a statement to format my return value.  If only it were so easy.
>  But why isn't it?  What is the purpose of making BIF parms requiring
> constant values?  Where is the flexibility in that?   I suppose it may be
> easier on the RPG developers, but is it better for the language?
>
> Info about my example.  Amounts are already rounded to the needed
> precision.  Also, we go out to 6 decimals, I cut the example down to only
> going out to two decimals.
>
> So in my example, instead of being able to code:
> rtnAmount = %trim( %editC( %dec( Amount: LEN_Amount: w_DecPos ): EditCode:
> *CurSym);
>
> I have to code:
>
> 20983  Select;
>
> 20983    When w_DecPos = 0;
> 20983      Amt0Dec = Amount;
>
> 20983      Select;
> 20983        When EditCode = 'A';
> 20983          rtnAmount = %trim( %editc( Amt0Dec: 'A': *CURSYM ) );
> 20983        When EditCode = 'B';
> 20983          rtnAmount = %trim( %editc( Amt0Dec: 'B': *CURSYM ) );
> 20983      EndSl;
>
> 20983    When w_DecPos = 1;
> 20983      Amt1Dec = Amount;
>
> 20983      Select;
> 20983        When EditCode = 'A';
> 20983          rtnAmount = %trim( %editc( Amt1Dec: 'A': *CURSYM ) );
> 20983        When EditCode = 'B';
> 20983          rtnAmount = %trim( %editc( Amt1Dec: 'B': *CURSYM ) );
> 20983      EndSl;
>
> 20983    When w_DecPos = 2;
> 20983      Amt2Dec = Amount;
>
> 20983      Select;
> 20983        When EditCode = 'A';
> 20983          rtnAmount = %trim( %editc( Amt2Dec: 'A': *CURSYM ) );
> 20983        When EditCode = 'B';
> 20983          rtnAmount = %trim( %editc( Amt2Dec: 'B': *CURSYM ) );
> 20983      EndSl;
> 20983  EndSl;
>
> If I'm missing something and there's an easier way to do what I'm doing,
> please let me know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kurt Anderson
> Sr. Programmer/Analyst
> CustomCall Data Systems
> Madison, WI