Re: simple problem with string handling

[Vernon Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Rory

Are you referring to the MOVE operation? I don't know that I've used one 
in years, at least on purpose.

Everything I've done with varying variables is in free-form or EVAL 
statements. I've never tried a MOVE varying to fixed, so I just tried 
it. Here's the code, where I put a shorter value into a varying field 
that already has a value:

     D fixedvar        S             10A

     D varyingvar      S             10A   VARYING
     D                                     INZ('abcdefghij')

     c                   move      varyingvar    fixedvar

     c                   reset                   fixedvar
     c                   movel     varyingvar    fixedvar

     c                   eval      varyingvar = 'abcde'
     c                   reset                   fixedvar
     c                   move      varyingvar    fixedvar
     c
     c                   reset                   fixedvar
     c                   movel     varyingvar    fixedvar

     c                   eval      *inlr = *on

Run it in debug, if green-screen, use EVAL FIXEDVAR:X to see the value 
in hex.

Vern

On 2/22/2013 5:30 PM, Rory Hewitt wrote:
> Scott,
>
> This isn't the first poster who has expressed concern about whether a move
> from a varying string to a fixed string will cause problems somehow. It's
> just an 'education' thing - if people are used to working with fixed
> strings, they may just be wary of spending the time to figure out the
> benefits of varying strings. Better the devil you know and all that.
>
> Rory
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 2:43 PM, Scott Klement <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
> > IMHO, varying strings are much more elegant to work with.  Even if it
> > doesn't save any CPU cycles, it just makes your code easier to write.
> >
> > What's the advantage to sticking with fixed-length strings?