Hi,

Is there a way to test the existence of a field in the master file prior to do any calculation on it?

Thanks for any suggestion

Majid,

Are you talking about whether the field has any data or whether the column exists in the master file description? Please clariy.

For the latter, you can do a CHECK FILE filename HOLD, then TABLE the hold file and do a WHERE FIELDNAME eq 'yourfield' and check &LINES.

CHECK FILE CAR HOLD
TABLE FILE HOLD
PRINT *
WHERE FIELDNAME EQ 'MODEL'
ON TABLE HOLD
END
-RUN

-SET &MSG = 
-  IF &LINES EQ 1 THEN 'FILE CAR CONTAINS A COLUMN CALLED MODEL' 
-  ELSE 'CAR DOES NOT CONTAIN A COLUMN CALLED MODEL';

-TYPE &MSG

Hi Francis and Ginny,

Thanks to both of your answers are the same.
But there is no other way without tabling.

Thanks again

Can you look in the filename.mas ? This will at least tell you if the field is in the file/table/whatever.

Are you meaning to test if the field is null? or in the MFD?

Hi PBrightwell

I wanted to test the existence of field in a master file.

Regards

Try IF MISSING.

Majid,

The answer has already been given, but to assist you in understanding it -

You are in a room.
There is a bucket filled with water in the middle of that room.
You want to know if it has any fish in it.
How are you going to find out?

You have to look in it!!

To find the field visually, open the MFD in a viewer.
Programatically, then use the solution suggested by Ginny and then given away by Francis.

T

Tony,

I understood it from the post of Francis and I implemented it.
I do not nderstand what you are trying to say.

Regards

T,

You could keep your eyes closed and swallow - if something slippery went down your gullet, then, most likely it was a fish.

F.

Majid,
I think you are asking the question wrong. If you want to know if the field is in the Master File, open the Master file and look. If you want to know if there is data in that field, try
COMPUTE ANYAMT/D10=IF DATAFIELD IS MISSING THEN O ELSE DATAFIELD *10;