The following is a description of a handy date edit routine that I have created and used for several applications on the AS/400:
When you edit a date using the standard IBM-supplied 'Y' edit code, the date will have format xx/xx/xx. If the date is zero, it will print as 00/00/00.
Our problem was that we had standard forms on which we did not want 00/00/00 to print if the date was zero. One solution to this would be to compare each date to zero and set on an indicator, then use this to condition the output. An easier method would be to create a new edit code description. You are allowed to define your own edit codes 5,6,7,8, and 9. IBM supplies a definition for each of these codes, which must be deleted (DLTEDTD) before you are allowed to create a new one.
The following command will create a new edit code description, "5", that will zero suppress the leftmost digit and insert the "/"s; all blanks will print instead if the date is zero:
CRTEDTD EDTD(5) INTMASK(' / / ') DECPNT(*NONE)
FILLCHAR(*BLANK) ZEROBAL(*NO)
A copy of the edit code description and an example of its usage is enclosed. I am sure that this technique will be as useful to others as it has been for me.
Monica Zeno Waldorf, Maryland
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online