$Code

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Revision as of 13:54, 15 July 2014 by Mlarocca (talk | contribs) (Mlarocca moved page $CODE to $Code: Lower case change)
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The $CODE function, along with $DECODE, provides an encoding/decoding facility in User Language. $CODE and $DECODE operate on code tables that are defined, created, and controlled by the system manager. These tables can be searched but not changed by User Language functions.

$CODE and $DECODE search tables that are external to a Model 204 file. These tables are independent of a field's CODED/NON-CODED attribute, which affects how the field is stored internally in the Model 204 file.

The $CODE function takes two arguments:

  • The first argument contains the name of the table to be searched.
  • $CODE returns the code for the character string value contained in the second argument. A null value is returned if the string is not contained within the table or if the table does not exist. A nonexistent table also causes the nonfatal message:
  • INVALID CODE TABLE IDENTIFIER=X.

Example

This request prompts the user for the full name of a state but performs the record search on the coded value for that state.

BEGIN %STCD = $CODE ('STATE', $READ ('ENTER STATE NAME')) GET.RECS: FIND ALL RECORDS FOR WHICH STATE = %STCD END FIND FOR EACH RECORD IN GET.RECS . . .