Reset array using !

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1

Hi there. New on this forum (but old on Nat/Adabas).

I’ve come across this syntax in an example source code:

RESET MY-ARRAY(!)

I haven’t seen ! used that way before. What does it mean? Is this similar to *?

2 
define data local
01 #my-array(A1/1:2) init <'B','C'>
end-define
reset #my-array(!)   /* NAT0280 here
end

… doesn’t work on my natural 6.3.9 @ Windows

3

I haven’t seen anything like this before either.

Can you provide a bit more information ?

  • does it actually WORK when you run it ?
  • report mode / structured mode ?
  • definition of MY-ARRAY ?
4

Perhaps it has been through a code page conversion that did not handle the special characters well?

5

Thank you for the answers. I haven’t seen this running anywhere, but was asked a question about it by a customer. Yes, this could actually just have to do with a bad conversion, but I would like to rule out that this was in fact valid code.

6

I’ve been using Natural since the transition from 1.2 to 2.1,
and I don’t think it’s ever been valid syntax …

Either way, do you know more details, like report/structured mode,
how’s MY-ARRAY defined ?

7

No, but when I get on site some time next week, I’ll find out. Thanks.

8

This syntax has never been valid.

When I became a SAG customer, I was sold on version 1, but was asked to wait for the imminent release of Natural 1.1. Array processing was introduced in version 2. Prior to that we suffered with MOVE INDEXED.

9

I agree with Mogens that some sort of code page conversion may be at the root of this anomaly. There is another similar possibility, font conversion. I have seen some pretty strange things when switching fonts, although I would expect the “standard” special characters would come through unscathed.

steve

10

I agree with Mogens that some sort of code page conversion may be at the root of this anomaly. There is another similar possibility, font conversion. I have seen some pretty strange things when switching fonts, although I would expect the “standard” special characters would come through unscathed.

steve