Re: Why you shouldn't be afraid to use VARCHAR in RPGLE

Simple:
One line of code. The compiler would make the hard work with the return
value.  It is your intellectual work that you want back.  A string?  A
floating point? A char()? Whatever.  The single line is clear upon your
intention.
The == notation is "C", put that away in RPG.  Use only one = sign.
The return value is your intellectual work. Say it is an IND:
dcl-s boolVar IND inz;
boolVar = (a = b ? '1': '0');
It's your choice.  That is RPG valid code above.

JS


El jue, 11 dic 2025 a las 17:03, Peter Dow (<[email protected]>) escribió:

> Hi Javier,
>
> I'm one of those RPG programmers that doesn't know C.
>
> Given
>
> dcl-s boolVal int(5) inz;  // No need more room than two bytes
> dcl-s a int(5) inz(10);
> dcl-s b int(5) inz (15);
>
>
> what is the difference between
>
> 1.  boolVal = (a = b ? 1: 0);
>
> 2. boolVal = (a == b ? 1: 0);
>
> 3.  boolVal = (a = b);
>
>  From what Paul Therrien said in his reply, it sounds like 2 and 3 are
> the same, while 1 is very different.
>
> 2 and 3 are equivalent to
>
> if a = b;
>      boolVal = 1;
> else;
>      boolVal = 0;
> endif;
>
> and 1 is equivalent to
>
> a = b;
> if b = 0;
>      boolVal = 1;
> else;
>      boolVal = 0;
> endif;
>
> Actually, in RPGLE, boolVal would have to be defined as IND, not INT, in
> order for 3 to compile successfully.
>
> Anyway, if what I stated is correct, then obviously we already have
>
> boolVal = (a = b);
>
> and
>
> a = b;
> boolVal = (a = b);
>
> isn't too onerous or confusing.
>
> --
> *Peter Dow* /
> 909 793-9050
> [email protected]
> /
>
> On 12/11/2025 12:19 PM, Javier Sanchez wrote:
> > Brian,
> > The "ternary" operator is a very simple concept.  Test in one single line
> > "a query" that will yield a true or false and return one out of two
> values
> > that are the ones in the expression after the question mark.
> >
> > Put it more clear again:
> > dcl-s boolVal int(5) inz;  // No need more room than two bytes
> > dcl-s a int(5) inz(10);
> > dcl-s b int(5) inz (15);
> >
> > boolVal = (a = b ? 1: 0);
> >
> > I confess, recognize that my initial example was way too fast written.
> > This one is more clear.  Now, without this ILE RPG TR:
> >
> > if a = b;
> >    boolVar = 1;
> > else;
> >    boolVar = 0;
> > endif;
> >
> > 5 lines of code.  Sure, very clear, but very unnecessary!
> > This is elegance and efficiency.
> > Hey guys! For if any of you took care about it, even Einstein was excited
> > with his elegant e=mc2, just look a bit at it!
> > One single line! Not a function, not code at all, just concept and
> > simplicity!
> > “Imagination is more important than knowledge.
> > For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world,
> > stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
> > -- Albert Einstein
> >
> > JS
> >
> >
> > El jue, 11 dic 2025 a las 14:01, Brian Parkins (<
> [email protected]>)
> > escribió:
> >
> >> May I beg to differ?
> >>
> >> I would suggest many folk will find such an expression too cryptic,
> >> especially when maintaining code written by others. It may be efficient,
> >> it may be "elegant" - but is it easy to read and understand? Take a very
> >> simple example:
> >>
> >> a = a + 5;  -or-  a += 5;
> >>
> >> Personal opinion: the former is more readily understood, the latter not
> >> so, and open to miscoding (a =+ 5;). It is my experience that a majority
> >> will favour readability in preference to "elegant" coding
> >>
> >> Brian.
> >>
> >> On 11/12/2025 14:14, Javier Sanchez wrote:
> >>> BTW, I have wondered a lot why you guys have not yet implemented the
> >> C-like
> >>> expression as:
> >>> boolVal = (a = b ? 0: 1);
> >>> This is not only necessary for modern RPG but it should have been
> >> provided
> >>> long time ago! 🙂
> >> --
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