RE: BIFs requiring constants = frustrating

Hi Henrik,

I need to dictate whether our currency displays anywhere from 2 to 6 decimals in certain instances. I'm not really having an issue with that, I just mentioned in my example what I was doing with the amount (in this case, writing it as XML so it can be processed by a 3rd party).

Thanks,
Kurt

-----Original Message-----
From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of hr@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 11:44 AM
To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i
Subject: RE: BIFs requiring constants = frustrating

Hi Rory,

most XML readers ignores the number of decimals as long as they are
zero and currency should be passed as a attribute, so what is the
problem ?

/henrik




Kurt Anderson <kurt.anderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
06-04-2010 18:09
Please respond to
RPG programming on the IBM i / System i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


To
"'RPG programming on the IBM i / System i'" <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc

Subject
RE: BIFs requiring constants = frustrating






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