SQL iQuery Script Built-in Functions

Retrieve Data from a Data Area

DTAARA

The DTAARA() built-in function returns the content of a data area (*DTAARA) object. The data area and location within the data area are specified. The data from the data area is returned, usually into a Session Variable. This built-in function is similar to the USRSPC built-in function which works similarly but with user spaces.

Syntax

•   eval &value = dtaara( <qualified data area name> [, optional starting position ] [, option length] )

The DTAARA built-in function returns the contents of the data area specified on the first parameter, using the optional starting position and length parameters to extract the data.

Parameters

1. The qualified name of a data area whose content is retrieved. This can be in the form: library/dtaara or simply dtaara without a qualified library name.
   
2. The starting position within the data area.
   
3. The Length of the data to be returned.
   

A user space object type is *DTAARA that can be created using the CRTDTAARA CL command.

CL: CRTDTAARA DTAARA(QGPL/NEXTINV) VALUE('1280086');
eval &INVNBR = dtaara(QGPL/NEXTINV, 1,7);
#msg The Next Invoice Number is &INVNBR

The output written to the joblog is:

The Next Invoice Number is 1280086