Edit with Parentheses in Query/400

August 28, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

Hey, Ted:

Is there a way to make Query/400 place parentheses or angle brackets around negative numbers?

— Chuck

Yes, but I’m not crazy about it.

From the Define the Query panel, select Specify report column formatting. This will show you a list of fields that have been selected for output. Place the cursor on the field that you want to edit and press F16 to specify editing. In the Edit option prompt, choose 1 (Numeric editing choices). Change Show negative sign to Y if necessary. Key an open parenthesis (or left angle bracket) into the Left negative sign field and a close parenthesis (or right angle bracket) into the Right negative sign field.

Here’s the part of this method that I don’t like: The left negative sign does not abut the first digit of a zero-suppressed number, as the following example shows:

Account  Date               Amount
   100   2002-01-01          45.00 
   700   2002-01-01  (       25.00)
   780   2002-02-01  (       20.00)

— Ted

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