I'm currently trying to perform a dynamic lossless assignment in an ABAP 7.0v SP26 environment.
Background:
I want to read in a csv file and move it into an internal structure without any data losses. Therefore, I declared the field-symbols:
<lfs_field> TYPE any which represents a structure component
<lfs_element> TYPE string which holds a csv value
Approach:
My current "solution" is this (lo_field is an element description of <lfs_field>):
IF STRLEN( <lfs_element> ) > lo_field->output_length.
RAISE EXCEPTION TYPE cx_sy_conversion_data_loss.
ENDIF.
I don't know how precisely it works, but seems to catch the most obvious cases.
Attempts:
MOVE EXACT <lfs_field> TO <lfs_element>.
...gives me...
Unable to interpret "EXACT". Possible causes: Incorrect spelling or comma error
...while...
COMPUTE EXACT <lfs_field> = <lfs_element>.
...results in...
Incorrect statement: "=" missing .
As the ABAP version is too old I also cannot use EXACT #( ... )
Example:
In this case I'm using normal variables. Lets just pretend they are field-symbols:
DATA: lw_element TYPE string VALUE '10121212212.1256',
lw_field TYPE p DECIMALS 2.
lw_field = lw_element.
* lw_field now contains 10121212212.13 without any notice about the precision loss
So, how would I do a perfect valid lossless assignment with field-symbols?
Don't see an easy way around that. Guess that's why they introduced MOVE EXACT in the first place.
Note that output_length is not a clean solution. For example, string always has output_length 0, but will of course be able to hold a CHAR3 with output_length 3.
Three ideas how you could go about your question:
Parse and compare types. Parse the source field to detect format and length, e.g. "character-like", "60 places". Then get an element descriptor for the target field and check whether the source fits into the target. Don't think it makes sense to start collecting the possibly large CASEs for this here. If you have access to a newer ABAP, you could try generating a large test data set there and use it to reverse-engineer the compatibility rules from MOVE EXACT.
Back-and-forth conversion. Move the value from source to target and back and see whether it changes. If it changes, the fields aren't compatible. This is unprecise, as some formats will change although the values remain the same; for example, -42 could change to 42-, although this is the same in ABAP.
To-longer conversion. Move the field from source to target. Then construct a slightly longer version of target, and move source also there. If the two targets are identical, the fields are compatible. This fails at the boundaries, i.e. if it's not possible to construct a slightly-longer version, e.g. because the maximum number of decimal places of a P field is reached.
DATA target TYPE char3.
DATA source TYPE string VALUE `123.5`.
DATA(lo_target) = CAST cl_abap_elemdescr( cl_abap_elemdescr=>describe_by_data( target ) ).
DATA(lo_longer) = cl_abap_elemdescr=>get_by_kind(
p_type_kind = lo_target->type_kind
p_length = lo_target->length + 1
p_decimals = lo_target->decimals + 1 ).
DATA lv_longer TYPE REF TO data.
CREATE DATA lv_longer TYPE HANDLE lo_longer.
ASSIGN lv_longer->* TO FIELD-SYMBOL(<longer>).
<longer> = source.
target = source.
IF <longer> = target.
WRITE `Fits`.
ELSE.
WRITE `Doesn't fit, ` && target && ` is different from ` && <longer>.
ENDIF.
Related
I'm fairly certain after years of searching that this is not possible, but I'll ask anyway.
The question is whether it's possible to use a dynamic variable in an operation when you don't know the field name. For example, I have a data structure that contains a few hundred fields. The operator selects one of those fields and the program needs to know what data resides in the field from the data structure passed. So we'll say that there are 100 fields, and field50 is what the operator chose to operate on. The program would be passed in the field name (i.e. field50) in the FLDNAM variable. The program would read something like this the normal way:
/free
if field50 = 'XXX'
// do something
endif;
/end-free
The problem is that I would have to code this 100 times for every operation. For example:
/free
if fldnam = 'field1';
// do something
elseif fldnam = 'field2';
// do something
..
elseif fldnam = 'field50';
// do something
endif;
Is there any possible way of performing an operation on a field not yet known? (i.e. IF FLDNAM(pointer data) = 'XXX' then do something)
If the data structure is externally-described and you know what file it comes from, you could use the QUSLFLD API to find out the offset, length, and type of the field in the data structure, and then use substring to get the data and then use other calculations to get the value, depending on the data type.
Simple answer, no.
RPG's simply not designed for that. Few languages are.
You may want to look at scripting languages. Perl for instance, can evaluate on the fly. REXX, which comes installed on the IBM i, has an INTERPRET keyword.
REXX Reference manual
Is there any Function module that can generate ABAP code.
For eg: FM takes tables name and join conditions as input and generate ABAP code corresponding to that.
Thanks
You should consider using SAPQuery. SAP documentation here: https://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp60_sp/helpdata/en/d2/cb3efb455611d189710000e8322d00/content.htm
1. Generic reports are possible.
Your problem is, that You will have to draw a strict frame of what is
generic and what not, this means, some stuff MUST be that generic, that
it will deal with WHATEVER You want to do before ( mostly the selection ) ,
during ( mostly manipulation ---> I would offer a badi for that ), and output.
This means, that there is at least the output-step, which can be valid for ALL
data resulting from the steps before.
Consider a generic ALV-table_output, there are a lot of examples in the repo.
If You want to be the stuff printed out simple as list, this might include
more work, like, how big is the structure, when Dou You wrap a line, and so on, consider using a flag which allows to toggle the type of output .
2. Generic reports are a transportable object.
This refers to point one. Define clear stages and limits. What does the report do, and what is it not able to do. Because, even if it is in customer's namespace, each modification still will be put into transport-layers. Therefore a strict definition of features/limits is necessary so that the amount of transports due to "oh, but we also need that"-statements will not become infinite.
2. Generic reports are strict.
What does that mean ? You might want to parse the passed data ( table names, join-binding, selection-parameter-values ) and throw exceptions, if not properly set. Much work. You should offer a badi for that. If You do not do this, expect a dump. let it dump. In the end the user of Your report-api should know ( by documentation perhaps) how to call it. If not, a dynamic SQL-dump will be the result.
3. Generic reports might benefit from badis/exits.
This is self explanaining, I think. Especially generic/dynamic selection/modification/displaying of data should be extendable in terms of
custom-modifications. When You inspect, what a f4-search-help exit works like, You will understand, what I mean.
4. Generic coding is hard to debug, mostly a blackbox.
Self explaining, in the code-section below I can mark some of those sections.
5. Generic coding has some best prectice examples in the repo.
Do not reinvent the wheel. Check, how the se16n works by debugging it,
check how se11 works by debugging it. Check, what the SQL-Query-builder
looks like in the debugger. You will get the idea very soon,
and the copy-paste should be the most simple part of Your work.
6. That are the basic parts of what You might use.
Where clause determination and setting the params.
data lt_range type rsds_trange.
data ls_range_f type rsds_frange.
data lt_where type rsds_twhere.
data ls_where like line of lt_where.
ls_range_f = value #( sign = _sign
option = _option
low = _low
high = _high ).
.
.
.
append ls_frange to lt_range.
.
.
.
call function 'FREE_SELECTIONS_RANGE_2_WHERE'
exporting
field_ranges = lt_range
importing
where_clauses = lt_where.
You have the parameter, let us create the select-result-table.
data(lt_key) = value abap_keydescr_tab( for line in _joinfields)
( name = fieldname ) ).
data(lo_structdescr) = cast cl_abap_structdescr( cl_abap_structdescr=>describe_by_name( _struct_name ) ).
data(lo_tabledescr) = cl_abap_tabledescr=>create( line_type = lo_structdescr p_key = lt_key ).
create data ro_data type handle lo_tabledescr.
.
.
.
select (sel_st)
from (sel_bind)
into corresponding fields of table t_data
where (dyn_where).
Then assign the seelct-table-result-reference to the generic table of this select.
Do You need more hints ?
Yes, such possibility exists, but not by means of function modules. INSERT REPORT statement allows generating report by populating its code from internal text table:
INSERT REPORT prog FROM itab
[MAXIMUM WIDTH INTO wid]
{ [KEEPING DIRECTORY ENTRY]
| { [PROGRAM TYPE pt]
[FIXED-POINT ARITHMETIC fp]
[UNICODE ENABLING uc] }
| [DIRECTORY ENTRY dir] }.
I'm pretty new to progress and I want to ask a question.
How do I change variable (string) length in runtime?
ex.
define variable cname as char.
define variable clen as int.
cname= "".
DO cnts = 1 TO 5.
IF prc[cnts] <> "" THEN DO:
clen = clen + LENGTH(prc[cnts]).
cname = cname + prc[cnts].
END.
END.
Put cname format '???' at 1. /here change variable length/
Thanks for the reply
If the PUT statement is what you want to change, then
PUT UNFORMATTED cname.
will write the entire string out without having to worry about the length of the FORMAT phrase.
If you need something formatted, then
PUT UNFORMATTED STRING(cname, fill("X", clen)).
will do what you want. Look up the "STRING()" function in the ABL Ref docs.
In Progress 4GL all data is variable length.
This is one of the big differences between Progress and lots of other development environments. (And in my opinion a big advantage.)
Each datatype has a default format, which you can override, but that is only for display purposes.
Display format has no bearing on storage.
You can declare a field with a display format of 3 characters:
define variable x as character no-undo format "x(3)".
And then stuff 60 characters into the field. Progress will not complain.
x = "123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890".
It is extremely common for 4gl application code to over-stuff variables and fields.
(If you then use SQL-92 to access the data you will hear much whining and gnashing of teeth from your SQL client. This is easily fixable with the "dbtool" utility.)
You change the display format when you define something:
define variable x as character no-undo format "x(30)".
or when you use it:
put x format "x(15)".
or
display x format "x(43)".
(And in many other ways -- these are just a couple of easy examples.)
Regardless of the display format the length() function will report the actual length of the data.
Is there any way of programmatically getting the value of a Text Symbol at runtime?
The scenario is that I have a simple report that calls a function module. I receive an exported parameter in variable LV_MSG of type CHAR1. This indicates a certain status message created in the program, for instance F (Fail), X (Match) or E (Error). I currently use a CASE statement to switch on LV_MSG and fill another variable with a short description of the message. These descriptions are maintained as text symbols that I retrieve at compile time with text-MS# where # is the same as the possible returns of LV_MSG, for instance text-MSX has the value "Exact Match Found".
Now it seems to me that the entire CASE statement is unnecessary as I could just assign to my description variable the value of the text symbol with ID 'MS' + LV_MSG (pseudocode, would use CONCATENATE). Now my issue is how I can find a text symbol based on the String representation of its ID at runtime. Is this even possible?
If it is, my code would look cleaner and I wouldn't have to update my actual code when new messages are added in the function module, as I would simply have to add a new text symbol. But would this approach be any faster or would it in fact degrade the report's performance?
Personally, I would probably define a domain and use the fixed values of the domain to represent the values. This way, you would even get around the string concatenation. You can use the function module DD_DOMVALUE_TEXT_GET to easily access the language-dependent text of a domain value.
To access the text elements of a program, use a function module like READ_TEXT_ELEMENTS.
Be aware that generic programming like this will definitely slow down your program. Whether it would make your code look cleaner is in the eye of the beholder - if the values change rarely, I don't see why a simple CASE statement should be inferior to some generic text access.
Hope I understand you correctly but here goes. This is possible with a little trickery, all the text symbols in a report are defined as variables in the program (with the name text-abc where abc is the text ID). So you can use the following:
data: lt_all_text type standard table of textpool with default key,
lsr_text type ref to textpool.
"Load texts - you will only want to do this once
read textpool sy-repid into lt_all_text language sy-langu.
sort lt_all_Text by entry.
"Find a text, the field KEY is the text ID without TEXT-
read table lt_all_text with key entry = i_wanted_text
reference into lsr_text binary search.
If you want the address you can add:
field-symbols: <l_text> type any.
data l_name type string.
data lr_address type ref to data.
concatenate 'TEXT-' lsr_text->key into l_name.
assign (l_name) to <l_text>.
if sy-subrc = 0.
get reference of <l_text> into lr_address.
endif.
As vwegert pointed out this is probably not the best solution, for error handling rather use message classes or exception objects. This is useful in other cases though so now you know how.
The WRITE statement has a lot of options, so I was wondering, does it call CONVERSION_EXIT_* functions, or how does it print the primitive data types in so many ways?
And if it does use CONVERSION_EXIT_*s, what are those?
The primitive data types (DATA foo TYPE n LENGTH 10) do not have any conversion exits (ALPHA, etc.) assigned to them.
You can choose them manually, for example with
WRITE ... TO ... USING EDIT MASK '==ALPHA'.
or they can be assigned to a data dictionary domain (transaction code SE11). In this case, they are implicitly called for example:
by the screen (dynpro) processing (unless turned off explicitly).
by WRITE
DATA(langu) = CONV syst-langu( 'E' ). " domain SYLANGU has conv.exit ISOLA
DATA text TYPE c LENGTH 2.
WRITE langu TO text. " conv.exit ISOLA converts 'E' into 'EN'
Except WRITE, ABAP itself does very little to support conversion exits - which is a good thing because the conversion should take place only at the input/output borders of the program and not internally.
It's a good idea to keep all of the data in the internal format as long as you're working on it and only convert it right before the output takes place.