Omitting Parameters in RPG Programs and Modules

November 8, 2002 Timothy Prickett Morgan

Hey, Ted:

I have a program that can receive four parameters. The first one is mandatory, and the last three are optional. If I call the program and pass parameters 1, 2, and 4 to it, the %parms built-in function tells me that three parameters were passed. How does the program know which three it is getting? Thanks!

— Doug

You can’t skip a parameter. If you pass three parameters, they are parameters 1, 2, and 3; number 4 will be undefined.

The only way to skip parameter 3 is to specify OPTIONS(*OMIT) in its D spec. The value *OMIT allows you to pass the special value *OMIT as a parameter value. OPTIONS(*OMIT) is only allowed with parameters that are passed by reference. That includes parameters with the CONST keyword, which are passed by read-only reference.

You can use the *OMIT value along with *NOPASS, but to keep it simple; I do not include *NOPASS in the following example.

Here is the RPG source code for RPG module OMITPARMEE (Omit Parameter Callee):

D calledproc      pr                  extproc('OMITPARMEE') 
D   p1                          10a   const                 
D   p2                          12a   const                 
D   p3                           6a   const options(*omit)  
D   p4                           2a   const                 
                                                            
D calledproc      pi                                        
D   p1                          10a   const                 
D   p2                          12a   const                 
D   p3                           6a   const options(*omit)  
D   p4                           2a   const                 
                                                            
D somevalue       s              6                          
                                                            
C                   if        %addr(p3) = *null             
C                   eval      somevalue = *all'*'           
C                   else                                    
C                   eval      somevalue = p3                
C                   endif  
C                   return

Notice that the third parameter has the OPTIONS(*OMIT) keyword. If the caller passes the special value *OMIT, the address of the parameter will be null. For that reason, the module checks for a null address and does not use the value of the third parameter if the address is null.

Here is module OMITPARMER (Omit Parameter Caller):

D calledproc      pr                  extproc('OMITPARMEE') 
D   p1                          10a   const                 
D   p2                          12a   const                 
D   p3                           6a   const options(*omit)  
D   p4                           2a   const                 
                                                            
 /free                                                      
     callp calledproc ('ABC': 'DEFG': 'HIJKLM': 'NO');      
     callp calledproc ('ABC': 'DEFG': *OMIT   : 'NO');      
     *inlr = *on;                                           
 /end-free                                                  

Notice the *OMIT value in the second CALLP.

— Ted

Sponsored By inFORM DECISIONS

ELIMINATE THE COSTS OF PRE-PRINTED FORMS, LABOR AND POSTAGE WITH inFORM Decisions iDocs™ ‘Suite’ iSeries based e-Forms, e-Checks, e-Mail, e-FAX, and Document Retrieval from the Web are available as individual modules or as a complete e-Document processing ‘Suite’. Click to Download the Complete Suite or Individual Modules today www.inFORMDecisions.com or call (800) 858-5544