WRITE WORK FILE with Edit Mask

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1

Hello all!

It’s not a real problem for me…
But sometimes I wonder why it’s impossible to combine a “write work file” with an edit mask.
Or is there a way I don’t know about?

Regards,

Matthias

2

Why don’t take a Printfile?

Like this Natural on Host Code?


WRITE (01) NOTITLE NOHDR USING MAP 'MYMAP'

You only have to cut off the Newpages with an external Tool

3

You’ll get spaces inserted between the various fields in that case, if that doesn’t matter - fine :wink:

4

Which other case could afford the use of a Map other than with Spaces? The Map-Editor doesn’t take fields without space between them, or?

5

Here’s a part of my NATURAL-code:

define data local
01 #workfile_name (A50)
01 #workfile_delimiter (A1) const <';'>
*
* ...
*
end-define

define work file 1 #workfile_name  type 'ASCII'
*
* and later in the code
*
if view.logical-field
  #a := 'Y'
else
  #a := 'N'
end-if
*
write work file 1
  view.Alpha-field
  #workfile_delimiter
  view.Numeric-field
  #workfile_delimiter
  #a

I guess it would get more complex if i would do it with a printfile…

6

No, that’s due to the “attribute bytes”

7

Looks like you want to write a csv-File. Why don’t use:


compress view.Alpha-field view.Numeric-field with delimiter ';' into #av leaving no space

On Open Systems Alpha lenght Variable is a good type for that. On Host (Nat 3.2.1) its not possible.

8

I agree that an edit mask specification on a field in a WRITE WORK statement would be a nice enhancement.

But for your specific requirement, change the IF to a MOVE EDITED as in

MOVE EDITED view.logical-field (EM=‘N’/‘Y’) TO #A

You can get fancy and use something like (EM=‘False’/‘True’)

9

OK, my code was just a excerpt of a bigger program. Normally I’m doing much more inside my if-statements…

But I guess you agree, that the following code would be the best solution:

write work file 1
   view.date-field (EM=YYYY-MM-DD)
   #workfile_delimiter
   view.logical-field (EM='N'/'Y')
   #workfile_delimiter
10

By the way, to create CSV you always should use COMPRESS NUMERIC, otherwise signs and decimal points get lost.

11

As i said - With Nat 3.2.1 i can’t use compress because of max. Alpha 253 or A1/1:32000. But thank you for this hint. If i get in Future Nat4.2 i would know it :slight_smile:

But on 3.2 i normaly generate a subprogramm which uses the input parameter area and write it down in csv-structure with also changing types from logical and nummeric to text.

12

There are at least three reasons:

NAT0285 (when I run your code)
NAT0100 (if I use a logical field inside compress)
NAT0023 (if I use an Edit Mask inside compress)

13

Think

I’ve been a programmer for 15 years, and today I learned something new.

a new trick

MOVE EDITED view.logical-field (EM='N'/'Y') TO #A