XLATE

The XLATE function will return the data value of a field, given the name of the file, the record key, the field number, and an action code.

 

COMMAND SYNTAX

XLATE ([DICT] filename, key, field#, action.code)

 

SYNTAX ELEMENTS

DICT  is the literal string to be placed before the file name in the event it is desired to open the dictionary portion of the file, rather than the data portion.

filename is a string containing the name of the file to be accessed.  Note that it is the actual name of the file, and not a file unit variable.  This function requires the file name, regardless of whether or not the file has been opened to a file unit variable.  

key  is an expression that evaluates to the record key, or item ID, of the record from which data is to be accessed.

field#  is the field number to be retrieved from the record.

action.code  indicates what should happen if the field is null, or the if record is not found.  This is a literal.  The valid codes are:

X Returns a null string. This is the default action
V Prints an error message.
C Returns the value of key

 

NOTES

If the field being accessed is a dynamic array, XLATE will return the array with the  delimiter characters lowered by 1.   For example, multivalue marks (ASCII-253) are returned as subvalue marks (ASCII-252), and subvalue marks are returned as text marks (ASCII-251).

If you supply -1 for field#, the entire record will be returned.

The XLATE function is the same as the TRANS function.

 

EXAMPLES

1) Retrieval of a simple field:  Given a file called "VENDORS" containing a record with the record key of "12345" and which contains the value of "ABC Company" in field 1,

VENDOR.ID = "12345"
VENDOR.NAME = XLATE("VENDORS",VENDOR.ID,1,"X")
CRT VENDOR.NAME

will display:

ABC Company

2) Retrieval of an array:  Suppose field 6 of the VENDORS file contains a multivalued list of purchase order numbers, such as

10011]10062]10079

and you use the XLATE function to retrieve it:

PO.LIST = XLATE("VENDORS",VENDOR.ID,6,"X")
CRT PO.LIST

will display:

10011\10062\10079

Notice that the backslashes (\) were substituted for brackets (]), indicating that the delimiter is now CHAR(252).

3)  Retrieval of an entire dictionary item:  Given a dictionary item called "VENDOR.NAME" with the following content

001 A
002 1
003 Vendor Name
004
005
006
007
008
009 L
010 30

these statements

DICT.ID = "VENDOR.NAME"
DICT.REC = XLATE("DICT VENDORS",VENDOR.ID,-1,"C")
PRINT DICT.REC

will display

A]1]Vendor Name]]]]]L]30

jBC