The %XLATE and %REPLACE text replacement built-in functions (BIFs) are often confused, and part of that confusion may be the result of wishful thinking on the part of RPGers frustrated with the limitations of %XLATE. Just as with the %SCAN and %CHECK BIFs that I discussed in an earlier tip, the major difference between %XLATE and %REPLACE is that %XLATE operates on individual characters and %REPLACE operates on strings.

Before we study %REPLACE, let’s quickly review the function of %XLATE.

%XLATE( from : to : input {: startpos} )

The function of %XLATE is to search the input string

I’ll never forget the guy who used to call my telephone with a cheery “My computer won’t compute!” whenever he had a problem. Ambiguous appeals for help annoy me to no end. The least a guy can do is give me something to go on; some information to give me a place to start to look for his problem. But in fairness to users, I often find that they don’t have much information to give me because the programmer didn’t make the program tell them anything. A crafty CL programmer knows how to easily avoid such situations.

When something goes

Due to timing issues in my shop’s upgrade cycle, I’m extending system maintenance for several months on one of our System i boxes, which has allowed me to pick up some pointers regarding IBM maintenance contracts. If the bad economy is forcing you to keep your current machine a little longer than you’d like and your existing maintenance is running out, consider these items when purchasing a new contract.

Think About Termination Options

When extending maintenance, be sure to carefully review the termination clause in your service agreement.

In many cases, you only need to extend maintenance for a month