Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

[Huddy]

Hi,

I'm attempting to build a command string for cmd = 'SNDBRKMSG TEXT('hello person') TOMSGQ(xxxxxx)'

It's a no go.. So how do i build a string with apostrophes in the middle?

thanks

[Scott M]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Escape them with another apostrophe, like

cmd = 'SNDBRKMSG TEXT(''hello person'') TOMSGQ(xxxxxx)'

[GLS400]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Hi Huddy:

I prefer this method:

     d qt              s              1a   inz('''')  

                  cmd = 'SNDBRKMSG TEXT(' + qt + 'hello person' + qt + ') TOMSGQ(xxxxxx)'

Best of Luck
GLS

[tomliotta]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

So how do i build a string with apostrophes in the middle?

In general, you simply build the string with the apostrophe in whatever position it needs to be. It's often easiest to have a 1-byte variable or constant that has an apostrophe as its value, then reference it when building the full string.

However, the specific method might depend on exactly what problem you're having. For example, there is a difference between (a) building a string from substrings where one of the substrings needs to have apostrophes around it and (b) building a string from substrings where one of the substrings needs to have apostrophes around it and also has one or more embedded apostrophes.

[Huddy]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Many thanks for your kind replies as always. Scott's fix worked a treat and i've noted the other replies.. Not sure how this has escaped me in the past tbh.

Thanks once again.

[Huddy]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Just one other thing.. I get a program dump if i call SNDUSRMSG using QCMDEXC..

Any reason for this?

  @cmd = 'SNDUSRMSG MSG('test') MSGTYPE(*INFO) TOMSGQ(*SYSOPR)';    
                                                                  
   callp    qcmdexc(@cmd:%size(@cmd));

The dump is a little unhelpful.

thanks

[Scott M]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Were there any messages in the job log prior to the dump?

Is @cmd defined as varying? If not you probably want to trim it in the call:

callp qcmdexc(%trim(@cmd):%size(%trim(@cmd)));

[Huddy]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

thanks for the reply.

I didn't think to check my log

                         Additional Message Information                     
                                                                            
 Message ID . . . . . . :   CPD0031       Severity . . . . . . . :   30     
 Message type . . . . . :   Diagnostic                                      
 Date sent  . . . . . . :   12/01/15      Time sent  . . . . . . :   15:12:5
                                                                            
 Message . . . . :   Command SNDUSRMSG not allowed in this setting.         
 Cause . . . . . :   The complete list of settings includes: batch,         
   interactive, batch control language (CL) program, interactive CL program,
   batch REXX procedure, interactive REXX procedure, batch CL ILE program,  
   interactive CL ILE program, CALL to QCMDEXC, and various types of source 
   statements. The Display Command (DSPCMD) command can be used to determine
   the setting in which the command is allowed.                             
 Recovery  . . . :   Omit the command.

Any ideas?

[EmmanuelW1]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

SNDUSRMSG is not allowed from an interactive session (DSPCMD does not list *INTERACT as a "Where allowed to run").

Cheers,

Emmanuel

[Scott M]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Looking at SNDUSRMSG, it has to be run from a CL program. Create a generic CL Program and call it from the RPG program.

[Huddy]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Ok, that confirms what i was thinking..

Thanks ScottM

[tomliotta]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

If you must use SNDUSRMSG, create a CLLE *MODULE and make it part of your program. Call it as a procedure instead of calling QCMDEXC as a procedure. If you don't need SNDUSRMSG but only want similar behavior, and you don't want to have a CLLE *MODULE, then you need to call one of the Send Message APIs. Pick the one that gives the behavior that you need and call it as a procedure instead of calling QCMDEXC. Most developers probably call the QMHSNDPM API.

If you need to run a significant command like SNDUSRMSG, I'm not sure why you'd use QCMDEXC instead of creating a CLLE *MODULE. CL makes all of the capabilities available for handling variables and errors, and it does it with compiled commands instead of ones that are parsed/interpreted at run-time. You don't need to create the code to do all of the extra stuff that might be needed. You could, of course, put a lot of that extra code into other procedures (or ignore it as many do), perhaps in *MODULEs and perhaps a *SRVPGM; but then you're back into the position of maintaining a separate object that merely does some of what CL already does for you.

(Also, consider learning the Process Commands (QCAPCMD) API and leaving QCMDEXC behind. Much can be learned about command execution by mastering the newer API.)

[corvair61]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

Hi Huddy:

I prefer this method:

     d qt              s              1a   inz('''')  

                  cmd = 'SNDBRKMSG TEXT(' + qt + 'hello person' + qt + ') TOMSGQ(xxxxxx)'

Best of Luck
GLS

I agree with this one except I've always defined it this way.

d quote c const(x'7D') single quote

Which begs the question, how do I get code in the box that I see in posts?

[Scott Klement]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

I agree with this one except I've always defined it this way.

d quote c const(x'7D') single quote

IMHO, using const('''') is superior. You are hard-coding the hex value for a quote in the particular CCSID you are using. What if this code gets copied to a system with a different CCSID where a quote is not x'7D'? Or gets converted to something like VARPG that runs on an ASCII system, so quotes are a completely different hex value? Also, the next guy to read the code has to know what x'7D' is in order to understand your code... whereas when you do INZ('''') it's obvious what character it is.

This way, the code is easier to understand, and it'll work in any environment.

Which begs the question, how do I get code in the box that I see in posts?

Type [code] on the line before the code you want to put in the box, and type [/code] on the line afterwards. Everything between [code] and [/code] will go into the box.

[Barbara Morris]

Re: Building strings with apostrophes in the middle

I don't like X'7D' for the same reasons that Scott mentions.

But wait, there's more.

The issue with X'7D' not necessarily being a quote is now a possibility in 7.2 RPG. If you have a field defined with CCSID(*UTF8), or with some ASCII CCSID, then x'7D' is not a quote when it's used in conjunction with those fields. So if you do say

msg = utf8_fld1 + x'7d' + utf8_fld2;

then the x'7d' will be interpreted as UTF-8 x'7d' which is not a quote.

        dcl-s utf8_fld1 char(5) inz('hello') ccsid(*utf8);
        dcl-s utf8_fld2 char(5) inz('world') ccsid(*utf8);
        dcl-s msg char(15);                               
        dcl-c QT x'7d';                                   
        dcl-c QT2 '''';                                   
                                                          
        msg = utf8_fld1 + QT + utf8_fld2;                 
        dsply msg;                                        
        msg = utf8_fld1 + QT2 + utf8_fld2;                
        dsply msg;                                        
        return;

Displays

DSPLY  hello}world
DSPLY  hello'world