You can define L, T and Z type fields in data environment files. You can also use the DECLARE instruction in management rules, macro-instructions and program templates.
These fields can be converted into character strings. See the 3GL Generation - General tab in the environment attributes.
Formats
You can specify the format of Date type file fields.
The internal format specified at program level is *ISO. When a field is to be displayed, it is converted automatically when the PRESENT and STORE instructions are used, so that the format specified at file level, if any, will be taken into account.
For the conversion, predefined functions will be proposed if you do not use the data flow.
Using L, T and Z fields in an Adelia model:
There are no L, T or Z constants.
There are no L, T or Z arrays.
They can be assigned using a factor of the same type, or using the *LOVAL and *HIVAL reserved words.
L, T and Z fields cannot be used in alphanumeric or numeric expressions.
They can be compared with other fields of the same type.
They cannot be concatenated.
There is a number of specific predefined functions.
L, T and Z fields cannot be used as parameters in user functions, macro-instructions or PM class management rules.
L, T and Z fields cannot be used as replacement variables in error messages.
L, T and Z fields can be used in control breaks and in the following instructions: CALL, BETWEEN, CONTAINS, DECLARE, DEFINE_VIEW, DO_WHILE, DS, DSE, DSI, IF, MOVE_ON_LEFT, MOVE_ON_RIGHT, RECEIVE, START_WITH and TIME.