Emmitt, Actually the leading space only occurs when you format numeric data. Formatting DATE, TIME and DATETIME do not have the leading space. In fact when you format numeric data if you include '[-]' at the beginning of the format string it will move the place holder for the "+" or "-" to the end of the formatted value.
Jim Bentley American Celiac Society [email protected] tel: 1-504-737-3293 ________________________________ From: Emmitt Dove <[email protected]> To: RBASE-L Mailing List <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 10:48:21 AM Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: SSub Declare date var Why? Because, Jim, sometimes one’s mind just isn’t focused on the straightforward solution! I’d never thought of just using FORMAT that way … One note though: FORMAT will leave a leading blank in your result, so you either need to do an SGET or use SSTRIP to strip it. Emmitt Dove Manager, Converting Applications Development Evergreen Packaging, Inc. [email protected] (203) 214-5683 m (203) 643-8022 o (203) 643-8086 f [email protected] From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of James Bentley Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 10:01 AM To: RBASE-L Mailing List Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: SSub Declare date var Oh why? Oh why? do you go through all that manipulation when there is the FORMAT function. Check out the latest documentation. RBase has recently re-documented additional syntax for using the FORMAT function to format DATE, TIME, and TIMESTAMP data types. The only addition they made was to add "NN" for use in place of "MM" of the time part of TIMESTAMP data types. All you have to do is get you data into one of the above data types then Set var V2 text = ((FORMAT(.vdatevar,'YYYYMMDD')) + .vLFNFileNameS1) Several cautions I observe in forming file names. 1. NEVER, I repeat NEVER use imbeded spaces or characters other than 'a-z',0-9 in a file name as someday it will come back to haunt you. You could possibly use special characters as "#$" 2. I always start file names with an alpha character. 3. If you use date and time or date only as part of file name use YYYYMMDD as the format instead of MMDDYYYY. It is a natural way of easily ordering and grouping the filenames. Jim Bentley American Celiac Society [email protected] tel: 1-504-737-3293 ________________________________ From:Emmitt Dove <[email protected]> To: RBASE-L Mailing List <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 12:35:28 PM Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: SSub Declare date var Paul, The reason that Set Var v2 date = (ssub(.vLFNFileDT1,-1)) fails is that you cannot assign the results of an expression which evaluates to a TEXT datatype to a DATE datatype. The two-step approach works because R:BASE lets you create a DATE variable by assigning a text value without the use of a function call. Honestly, that is non-standard. Use it all the time; love it; wouldn’t ever want to see it changed. But non-standard. It is really an implied function call: SET VAR v2 DATE = (ConvertToDate(SSUB(.vLFNFileDT1,-1))) Now, you *could* write your own function (stored procedure) ConvertToDate that does nothing but create a date variable from a text input … or you can use a long string of nested functions to get to your result in one step. R>SET VAR vresult TEXT = (CTXT(IYR4(.#DATE))+SGET(FORMAT(IMON(.#DATE),'00'),2,2)+SGET(FORMAT(IDAY(.#DATE),'00'),2,2)) R>SHO VAR Variable = Value Type ------------------ ------------------------------ -------- #DATE = 08/17/2009 DATE #TIME = 13:34:19 TIME #PI = 3.14159265358979 DOUBLE SQLCODE = 0 INTEGER SQLSTATE = 00000 TEXT #NOW = 08/17/2009 13:34:19 DATETIME vresult = 20090817 TEXT You can take the above and, in the same step, tack on whatever else you want for filename … or expand it to include the time in the string, or both. Emmitt Dove Manager, Converting Applications Development Evergreen Packaging, Inc. [email protected] (203) 214-5683 m (203) 643-8022 o (203) 643-8086 f [email protected] From:[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul InterlockInfo Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 12:41 PM To: RBASE-L Mailing List Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: SSub Declare date var Set var vLFNFileDT1 text = ‘8/17/2009 4:23 AM’ Now that we get this var from a RBL so no changing it! But I would like var v_something Text = ‘20090817’ Lead year for file use, zero filed months and days etc.. Time could be nice also but not required in this case. So I would assume Set Var v2 date = (ssub(.vLFNFileDT1,-1)) fails! But: Set Var v3 = (ssub(.vLFNFileDT1,-1)) Set Var v4 date = .v3 provides the date value As expected. That way you could set Date = ‘YYYYMMDD’ and add that part in the string and put it together in front of a file name. Seems simple, but I am missing the first step that fails. I could include this long declare var this/that (v1,v2,v3,…) but it would be nice in 1-2 var Set Date YYYYMMDD Set var V2 text = ((ssub(.v1,-1)) & .vLFNFileNameS1) Set Date MM/DD/YYYY However I know that is impossible. Thought about using #NOW and loading that into a var? Not possible from what I can see. Example: Set var v1 #NOW = . vLFNFileDT1 and then switch it to a text var with YYYYMMDD HHMM. Also again adding steps. Any ideas why “Set Var v2 date = (ssub(.vLFNFileDT1,-1))” fails? Am I missing something in quotes or ? Not possible and just take the addn’l steps? Sincerely, Paul Dewey
