Length Of the String in RPG

[venky2903]

HI


How to find the Length of the string in RPG3...

Is there any opcodes to find the lenght of the String??

[jamief]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

 length = %len(%trim(Mystring));

[B.Hauser]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

You may check the OpCode CHECKR to find the first non blank character beginning from the right side.
CHECK

... but I can't repeat it often enough!
For get about RPGIII it is an outdated technology.

[Bryan]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

2 years ago, we had a LOT of RPG3 programs running in production - with new developers only knowing RPG /Free and battled to read the RPG 3 code.

With each change request to an old program, we first converted the program sourse to RPGLE (plenty of free tools around and some in the OS)... we then also inserted /Free format code segments into the code to take advantage of the new BIFs...
Not a very elegant way of doing it, I know... but worked for quick maintenance, while maintaining the original essence of the application.

This makes it possible to use Jamie's example code above - as well as have access to fresh ideas from new developers.

Today, we ONLY have RPG ILE programs and all new development is done using latest best practice

[Rico]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

You could MOVE the string to an array and DO loop through the elements until you get *BLANK.
That said, I haven't coded any RPGIII since 1996.
Some shops are run by die-hards though, "we've been pounding nails with rocks at this company for 200 years, get your fancy hammer out of here".

[Bryan]

I recall at one point CLP chgvar had a %len op code that RPG didn't (or we didn't know about).
You could write a CL to pass two fields - data and datal and do the length calc there?

[B.Hauser]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

He could also use embedded SQL in RPGIII to retrieve the length:

C/EXEC SQL   Set :MyLen = Length(Trim(:MyVar))
C/END-EXEC

Birgitta

[JonBoy]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

He could also use embedded SQL in RPGIII to retrieve the length:

C/EXEC SQL   Set :MyLen = Length(Trim(:MyVar))
C/END-EXEC

Birgitta

I suspect that if they are still using an obsolete version of RPG Birgitta that embedded SQL is a bit beyond them. As a minimum you'd need to translate to the nasty old fixed form version.

Why oh why do people still use that old crap when RPG IV is virtually 100% compatible ... OK - I feel better now - back to work.

[B.Hauser]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

I suspect that if they are still using an obsolete version of RPG Birgitta that embedded SQL is a bit beyond them. As a minimum you'd need to translate to the nasty old fixed form version.

Why oh why do people still use that old crap when RPG IV is virtually 100% compatible ... OK - I feel better now - back to work.

That's why I didn't point to embedded SQL in my first anwser.
But ... I sometimes used this trick when I had to do small changes but didn't want or could not convert from RPGIII to RPGIV (because of multiple copy members etc)

Birgitta

[tomholden]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

I suspect that if they are still using an obsolete version of RPG Birgitta that embedded SQL is a bit beyond them. As a minimum you'd need to translate to the nasty old fixed form version.

Why oh why do people still use that old crap when RPG IV is virtually 100% compatible ... OK - I feel better now - back to work.

but...but...but i still use my claw hammer for chisel work too!!!

[jamief]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

Why oh why do people still use that old crap when RPG IV is virtually 100% compatible ..

I know that a bunch of large shops (100's of developers) are using synon..
I've seen & worked on some of these programs they are well over 20,000 lines long.
Yes I wrote 20,000....

Anyway the only way to maintain them at this size is synon.

These companies have married themselves to a technology that
keeps them writing Inefficient, Clunky code in RPGIII.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but this is one I have seen first hand.

[JonBoy]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

I know that a bunch of large shops (100's of developers) are using synon..
I've seen & worked on some of these programs they are well over 20,000 lines long.
Yes I wrote 20,000....

Anyway the only way to maintain them at this size is synon.

These companies have married themselves to a technology that
keeps them writing Inefficient, Clunky code in RPGIII.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but this is one I have seen first hand.

Hmmm - I thought Synon had changed to RPG IV (fixed form) code-gen some time back - maybe it is a chargeable feature?

[jamief]

Re: Length Of the String in RPG

Not if you don't upgrade which leads us head first into the original problem.