Hi all,

I have a challenge. I am computing a field like this...

COMPUTE RANGE/A99V = FST.&FIELDNAME || ' ~ ' | LST.&FIELDNAME;

This is fine if the format of &FIELDNAME is alpha. Not fine if the format of &FIELDNAME is numeric. I can use EDIT or FOTA or PTOA to convert the numeric to aplha but it is not happy when &FIELDNAME is alpha.

From the looks of it I'll have to use two different methods depending on the format of &FIELDNAME. Is there a way to test the format of a field? Sort of like IF &FIELDNAME.FORMAT EQ...

Thanks,

Dan

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dan Pinault,

CHECK FILE CAR HOLD
TABLE FILE HOLD
PRINT FIELDNAME FORMAT
END

Maybe you can join or do some sort of lookup into the output of a request like this so that you can test the format.

Something like this

  CHECK FILE filename HOLD
-RUN
-IF &LINES EQ 0 THEN bad.MFD;

  TABLEF FILE HOLD
    WRITE FST.USAGE
  WHERE FIELDNAME EQ '&fieldname' OR ALIAS EQ '&fieldname';
  ON TABLE SAVE
  END
-RUN
-IF &LINES EQ 0 THEN bad.FLD;
-READ SAVE, &USAGE
-SET &FTYPE=EDIT(&USAGE,'9');

Take it from there?

quote:

Is there a way to test the format of a field? Sort of like IF &FIELDNAME.FORMAT EQ...

How ablout the .TYPE option which returns an 'A' or an 'N'? such as:

-SET &VAR1 = 1 ;
-SET &VAR2 = 'TEXT' ;
-TYPE *** &VAR1.TYPE
-TYPE *** &VAR2.TYPE

Take it from there?

Thanks everybody!

The other option is SYSCOLUM

TABLE FILE SYSCOLUM
PRINT NAME COLTYPE LENGTH SCALE

WHERE TBNAME EQ 'CAR'
WHERE NAME EQ 'SALES'
ON TABLE HOLD
END

...