Long Alpha Data Types

Long Alpha Data Types allow the developer to create, access, display and manipulate alphabetic fields of up to 2000 bytes in database file systems that support character fields larger than 250 bytes. The Long alpha fields may be file variables in systems that support fields greater than 250 bytes, or they can be scratch variables. They cannot be communication variables or key fields.

Long Alpha Data Types are defined as any other field; the value is entered in the appropriate field. Scratch variable values are defined using the DEFINE command in logic.

Multi-line editing capability must be selected before Long Alpha Data Types can be displayed on non-buffered terminals.

Long alpha strings can be operated on by the following functions: + (concatenation), IN-ALPHA, In-Line Substring, INDEX, LEN, and SUBSTR. All other alpha functions are currently reserved for short alphas.

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Topic ID: 730078