Re: Question on MOVE command

On 07-Feb-2012 09:54 , Willie J. Moore wrote:

We have a size field (alph) that is 10 characters long. Data has been
entered like '123-098' or '12345-987'. This file and field has been
in production for over 30 years. Being free form, you have no idea
what has been entered. In fact I have found the following entered
'not to big' in the size field!

What I need to do is scan the size field for an '-'. Then do a move
specifying the starting and ending field position in to a new
numeric field.

The scan I have got down. What I am having problems with is the
'move'. How do I move from the size field into to new size field
with a starting and ending position?

Thanks in advance for any and all suggesting and examples.

Why a MOVE operation? Why not just assign the numeric field the value of the %dec of the portion [e.g. the %subst] of the data within the alphanumeric field which is the character string representation of the numeric value?

No example offered, because the desired effect is ill-defined; i.e. at a minimum, no mention of what should be the decimal value for the two sample ALPH values with the dash. The digits preceding the dash, the digits following the dash, all of the consecutive digits, or perhaps something else [in the "alph" field alphanumeric value] should represent the [new "size" field] numeric value? And with free-form data as a given in the scenario, there are many variations where a dash could be present yet an obviously valid string representation of a number may or may not precede or follow that dash, for which a desired outcome is also not noted.

Regards, Chuck