References

1. Special rules apply when you use the comparison operators with strings. The strings are compared, character by character, until an inequality is found. This becomes the inequality of the strings. For example: 'ba' > 'abcd' and 'abcc' < 'abdc'. If string1 is longer than string2, and if string1 and string2 are equal up to the length of the string2, then string1 > string2 evaluates as TRUE.

2. The BOUND(varname) function returns the value TRUE if varname has been defined (assigned a value) and FALSE if it has not been defined. The BOUND function is defined as follows:

   • BOUND (name of a defined variable) = TRUE

   • BOUND (name of an undefined variable) = FALSE

   • BOUND (numeric value of expression) = TRUE

   • BOUND (string value of expressions) = TRUE

   • BOUND (Boolean value of expression) = TRUE

   For example

   
      setvar a 6
      calc bound(a)           TRUE
      deletevar a
      calc bound(A)           FALSE
      calc bound(1+2)         TRUE
      calc bound('a'+'b')     TRUE
      calc bound(5<4)         TRUE
   
   

   In BOUND (expression), if expression is not a valid expression, an error message is displayed

3. The circular shift operators, CSL and CSR, shift the specified number of bits in a 32-bit word in the specified direction. When 1 or 0 is shifted off one end, it comes back onto the other end. The logical shift operators, LSL and LSR, perform the same shifting as the circular shift operators, but when 1 or 0 is shifted off one end, a 0 comes back at the other end.

4. The modulo operation functions as it is defined by Donald E. Knuth, The Art of Computer Programming, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, MA; Second ed., 1973; Volume I, p. 38.

5. The TYPEOF(expression) returns one of the following integer values:

   • 0 if expression is invalid.

   • 1 if expression evaluates to an integer.

   • 2 if expression evaluates to a string.

   • 3 if expression evaluates to a Boolean value.

6. The FINFO function returns a string, Boolean, or an integer value. The result depends upon the option specified.

   The first parameter, filename, is a string, the name of the file for which you want the information. This must be a fully or partly qualified file name, or a string expression that yields such a file name.

   This parameter can also be a string that specifies a file equation by backreference, for example, FINFO("*XIN', 1), which references the equation FILE XIN=....

   The second parameter, option, may be an integer (or integer expression) corresponding to the FLABELINFO intrinsic item numbers. Options 0 and 1 and the negative options are exceptions. The negative options provide the same information as their positive counterparts, except the format of the data is different.

   The option parameter may also be a string mnenomic which corresponds to an integer value. The string value is often easier to remember than the integer. Table B-2, which follows, summarizes all of the FINFO options.

   Users with system manager (SM) capabilities may use options 4 and 33 on any file within the system. Users with account manager (AM) capabilities may use those options only on files within their account.

7. The DWNS() and UPS() functions operate only on ASCII characters in the ranges "a" through "z" and "A" through "Z".

8. The ORD() and CHR() functions operate only on ASCII characters in the range 0 through 255.

9. 0^0 (zero to the zero power) yields 1.

10. The INPUT() function is different from other evaluator functions in that the execution of the command in which the function appears stops while input is taken from the user. The syntax is as follows:

    
      INPUT([prompt][,wait])
    
    

    INPUT reads from $STDIN. If a prompt is specified, it is written to $STDLIST before reading. If a wait is specified, the read is a timed read. The duration of the timed read is the lesser of wait seconds or the value of the HPTIMEOUT variable in minutes. The result of the read is returned as the string value of the function. If the user gave no input, but just pressed Return, the empty string is returned. If the timeout specified in the function itself (as opposed to the HPTIMEOUT timeout) expires, the empty string is returned. If the HPTIMEOUT timeout expires, the session is terminated.

    NOTE: This function should be used carefully since it interrupts execution of a command. It is not executed if it is skipped as a result of evaluation of a previous clause of a Boolean expression. This is the right side of an AND where the left is FALSE or the right side of an OR where the left is TRUE. For example: IF "!filename" = " " AND SETVAR (filename,input & ('Enter filename:'))<>" " THEN comment If filename is not empty, the left comment side of the AND is FALSE and so comment the right side is not executed. This comment means no INPUT() will be performed.

    For LTRIM and RTRIM if trimstr is not given, then a space is used as the default.

    POS (findstr,sourcestr[,N]). If N is specified, the Nth occurrence of findstr is searched for in sourcestr. If N is negative, the ABS(N)th occurrence of findstr is searched for in sourcestr from the right. A value of zero for N results in a zero being returned. This is the same value which is returned if the requested occurrence of findstr is not found in sourcestr. For example:

    
      POS('.','FILE.GRP.ACCT') WILL RETURN 5
      POS('.','FILE.GRP.ACCT',-1) WILL RETURN 9
    
    

    The SETVAR() function is different from other evaluator functions in that it is the first function that modifies its environment. The syntax is as follows:

    
      SETVAR (varname, expression)
    
    

    The expression is evaluated. If it evaluates with no errors, the value is returned and the variable with the name given as the first parameter is set to that value. Normal rules on setting variables apply: if it does not exist, it is created; if it does exist, its type is set to the type of the result of expression. Please refer to the SETVAR command for additional information. The Table B-2 "FINFO Specifications" shows the FINFO Specifications

NOTE: The SETVAR() function is not executed in a partial evaluation skip state. See the INPUT() function above for an example.