Problem in invoking a QCMDSRC command string from my CL program - INT4 type

[sri8707]

I have a QCMDSRC command source with following fields -

PARM KWD(FIELD1) TYPE(MYOWNTYPE) MIN(0) MAX(5)
MYOWNTYPE: ELEM1 TYPE(*NAME) LEN(10) MIN(1)
ELEM2 TYPE(*INT4) RANGE(1 99999)
ELEM3 TYPE(*INT4) VALUES(100 200)

As you can see, a FIELD1 of type MYOWNTYPE and that MYOWNTYPE has 3 elements in it - 1 of NAME type and 2 of INT4 type

Now, i am developing a CL program in which I will have to invoke the command. So, i am defining my CL program as -

DCL VAR(&FIELD1) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(100)
DCL VAR(&ELEM1) TYPE(*CHAR) STG(*DEFINED) LEN(10) DEFVAR(&FIELD1 1)
DCL VAR(&ELEM2) TYPE(*INT) STG(*DEFINED) LEN(4) DEFVAR(&FIELD1 11)
DCL VAR(&ELEM3) TYPE(*INT) STG(*DEFINED) LEN(4) DEFVAR(&FIELD1 15)

CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD1) VALUE(&FILEFIELD1) // Assigning file field1 which is of character length 10 to field1 variable which is of CHAR type
CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD2) VALUE(&FILEFIELD2) // Assigning file field2 which is of character length 4 to field2 variable which is of INT type
CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD3) VALUE(&FILEFIELD3) // Assigning file field3 which is of character length 4 to field3 variable which is of INT type

But, when i perform QCMDEXC on command string, it fails. Can someone guide me what i am making wrong here? Is the problem with the

1. *INT field definitions in CL program or
2. with the CL data structure usage or
3. with the way CHGVAR is performed in CL program?

[TedHolt]

Since you are using QCMDEXC to execute the command, rather than directly executing the command, your command string needs to look like what you would type at a command line. Everything should be character, not INT.

If you show us the call to QCMDEXC and the lines that build the command-string variable in the first parameter, we may be able to help more.

[sri8707]

Since you are using QCMDEXC to execute the command, rather than directly executing the command, your command string needs to look like what you would type at a command line. Everything should be character, not INT.

If you show us the call to QCMDEXC and the lines that build the command-string variable in the first parameter, we may be able to help more.

Below is the way i am building the string before invoking QCMDEXC call.

CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD1) VALUE(&FILEFIELD1) // Assigning file field1 which is of character length 10 to field1 variable which is of CHAR type
CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD2) VALUE(&FILEFIELD2) // Assigning file field2 which is of character length 4 to field2 variable which is of INT type
CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD3) VALUE(&FILEFIELD3) // Assigning file field3 which is of character length 4 to field3 variable which is of INT type
CHGVAR VAR(&CMD) VALUE(&CMD *TCAT ' FIELD1(' *CAT &FIELD1 *TCAT ')')

CALL PGM(QCMDEXC) PARM(&CMD 5000)

Basically, i am invoking QCMDEXC based on FIELD1 only which is a character. FIELD2, FIELD3, etc are part of FIELD1 data structure and they have been defined as INT type in my CL program

[TedHolt]

Your code looks OK to me.

Do you have any messages in the job log?

If you run in the debugger and copy the value of &CMD, then paste what you copied onto a command line, will it run?

[Brian Rusch]

Since parameter FIELD1 can have a maximum of 5 entries, you have to put each one in it's own set of parenthesis, so it should look like ' FIELD1((' *CAT &FIELD1 *TCAT '))' assuming the variable &FIELD1 is only 10 characters long.

[sri8707]

Hi TedHolt and Brian, I figured out the command parsing issue. Thanks again. As Brian pointed out, missing the inner paranthesis was the issue.

But, i have one more problem now. As i mentioned earlier, my QCMDSRC source is defined as *INT4 and the fields in the file are of CHARACTER type with length 4. I am just moving the file field to the command string and it seems to work. But, one issue remain.

Assume file has value of 100. When i perform CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD1) VALUE(&FILEFIELD1), I get value for FIELD1 as '100 ' ( 100 followed by a blank). But, rather i would like to build it as ' 100'. (blank followed by a 100). Any way to do it?

[Brian Rusch]

You could just add a space when determining &FIELD1 like so: CHGVAR VAR(&FIELD1) VALUE(' ' *CAT &FILEFIELD1). But rather than do that you could just use the file's variables directly with spaces in between them to build the command string like so: ' FIELD1((' *CAT &FILEFIELD1 *BCAT &FILEFIELD2 *BCAT &FILEFIELD3 *TCAT '))'

[sri8707]

Thanks again Brian. That solved my issue.

[TedHolt]

I'm glad you got it working, sri.

I completely overlooked the max(5). (Sharp eye, Brian!)

I'm curious to know why you're using QCMDEXC to execute the command rather than executing it directly. Are you going to have a varying number of occurrences of the field1 parameter?

[sri8707]

I'm glad you got it working, sri.

I completely overlooked the max(5). (Sharp eye, Brian!)

I'm curious to know why you're using QCMDEXC to execute the command rather than executing it directly. Are you going to have a varying number of occurrences of the field1 parameter?

Hi TedHolt, yes you are correct. The code i showed was just a snippet from a large program. The programs are written 20 years back, and I don't want to change entire functionality. Thats why. Thanks again.