× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.


  1.  Home
  2. RPG400-L
  3. April 2022

Re: *varying vs varchar

I would remove all of those options(*varsize) keywords.

The way this is coded is dangerous. The called procedure has no way to detect the lengths of these fields, so if you pass something shorter than indicated on the prototype, you will end up overwriting random memory.

Whomever wrote this did not understand how options(*varsize) works.


On 4/29/2022 12:22 PM, Greg Wilburn wrote:
So just to clarify...

This is the actual prototype:

dcl-pr Eml_Stmf int(10) ExtProc('Eml_Stmf');
pcom# char(6) const options(*varsize);
psubject char(100) const options(*varsize);
pstmf char(1024) const options(*varsize);
ptoaddr char(50) const options(*varsize);
pccaddr char(50) const options(*nopass:*varsize);
pmessage char(1024) const options(*nopass:*varsize);
pbdyct char(80) const options(*nopass:*varsize);
end-pr;

What I observed:
I passed in a CHAR(3) variable for PCOM# when I called EML_STMF from another program. The calling program passed (as the first two positions)
COM_NBR='070'
SUBJECT='Invoice #40064611'

Inside EML_STMF, the PCOM# variable contained '070 I '. It looks like the "I" from "Invoice"

Based on your last sentence below, PCOM# should have contained blanks for the 3 trailing positions. Or am I still misunderstanding?

-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jon Paris
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2022 11:58 AM
To: RPG programming on IBM i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: *varying vs varchar

Correct - but the assumption is that you will detect the actual length and process accordingly.

Remember - when you pass a parm (other that by value) you are only passing a pointer. So unless your called routine restricts itself to the length passed you will "see" whatever data is in the 6 bytes addressed by the pointer. That extra stuff could be blanks or just rubbish left around by a previous user of that storage.

The important thing is NOT to use the combination you used - it has no value. CONST was enough by itself and will always supply blanks for the training positions.


Jon P

On Apr 29, 2022, at 11:18 AM, Greg Wilburn <gwilburn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Sorry... my fault, Charles is right. It was not real code, and the option is *varsize

So back to my example... if I call this procedure, where the first parameter is CHAR(6) *VARSIZE passing only '123', why does it contain "other" data?

My understanding is that I can pass it something smaller?


-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jon Paris
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2022 11:12 AM
To: RPG programming on IBM i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: *varying vs varchar

Thanks Charles - I knew there was something wrong with Options(*varchar) but since it _appeared_ to be from real code ...


Jon P.

On Apr 29, 2022, at 11:05 AM, Charles Wilt <charles.wilt@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

There is no options(*varchar)

I assume from the title you mean options(*varsize)

options(*varsize) and varchar()/varying are two very different things

...and Jon beat me to the details... :)

Charles

On Fri, Apr 29, 2022 at 8:37 AM Greg Wilburn <
gwilburn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have an older procedure interface defined like this:

dcl-pr myProc;
myfield char(6) const options(*varchar);
myfield2 char(100) const options(*varchar);
end-pr;

If I call this procedure like this:

Callp myProc('123':'This is myfield2');

The value of myfield in the procedure is not just "123"...

What am I missing?
Should I change the Procedure Interface to be VARCHAR instead? And what
are the ramifications of that?

I apologize for asking as I have a strange sense of déjà vu.

[Logo]<https://www.totalbizfulfillment.com/> Greg Wilburn
Director of IT
301.895.3792 ext. 1231
301.895.3895 direct
gwilburn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:gwilburn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
1 Corporate Dr
Grantsville, MD 21536
www.totalbizfulfillment.com<http://www.totalbizfulfillment.com>
--
This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related
questions.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related questions.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our affiliate link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related questions.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our affiliate link: https://amazon.midrange.com
--
This is the RPG programming on IBM i (RPG400-L) mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related questions.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our affiliate link: https://amazon.midrange.com


As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...
Follow-Ups:
Replies:
Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.