parsing help in IBM rexx 3270 mainframe retain

[kirk_varra]

I am trying to parse a user name that is entered, calculate the amount of characters it is, and then add spaces after the name til it is 22 characters long. Here is my code so far:

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GetInputUserName:
  /*************************************************************************/
  /* Get users UserName.                                                   */
  /*************************************************************************/
  /**************************************************************************/
  DO
    SAY'Enter the new users Name.'
    PARSE UPPER PULL UserName 
    IF (LENGTH(UserName) > 22) THEN
      DO
        UserName = ''
        SAY'User Name cannot be longer than 22 characters.'  
      END
	 IF &#40;LENGTH&#40;UserName&#41; < 22 THEN
	  /** I think a loop needs to go here**/
    ELSE
      NOP
  END  

I think i need to create a loop to add in the spaces and have it check each time to see if it has reached the 22 character mark. However im not sure how to add in a space each time or exactly how to write the loop.
any advise sure would help.

thanks,
Kirk

[MrSpock]

Why not just Left Justify UserName to a length of 22?

[kirk_varra]

the left justify is a fantastic idea. however I cant get it to work. I get the error 'could not find routine'. I tried both:

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JUSTIFY(UserNamer,22) 

and

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LEFT(UserName,22)

So my changed code looks like this:

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  DO
    SAY'Enter the new users Name.'
    PARSE UPPER PULL UserName 
    IF (LENGTH(NewID) > 22) THEN
      DO
        UserName = ''
        SAY'User Name cannot be longer than 22 characters.'  
      END
	 IF &#40;LENGTH&#40;NewID&#41; < 22&#41; THEN
		DO
			JUSTIFY&#40;UserName,22&#41;
		END
    ELSE
      NOP
  END  

any ideas?

[dbzTHEdinosauer]

i'd, personnally, write it this way:

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SAY'Enter the new users Name.'
PARSE UPPER PULL UserName
New_Id = translate(justify(translate(username,'#',' '),22),' ','#')

that way does not matter if the username entered is one or more than one word.

[kirk_varra]

I like the way you coded that for more than one word. the agents do need to enter in Lname, Fname. However, the rexx we use i think is pretty basic. I looked into the justify command some more and it looks like its an extended function of rexx so i dont believe we will be able to call it. I still get the error 'could not find routine' "JUSTIFY"

[dbzTHEdinosauer]

you need to spend some time reading
the format of your instruction is faulty.

JUSTIFY, just like all other FUNCTIONS, RETURNS SOMETHING.
you have not provided a variable for the value returned by the function.

you have to code VAR = JUSTIFY(string,resultant length of string, pad character)

[kirk_varra]

I use a variable before the JUSTIFY function. I used the code you provided exactly. only I changed the New_Id to UserName.

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  DO
    SAY'Enter the new users Name.'
    PARSE UPPER PULL UserName 
	UserName = translate(justify(translate(username,'#',' '),22),' ','#')
    ELSE
      NOP
 END  

My thought was that I could take the variable UserName and convert it. I believe that is right. However im still getting the same error as above.

and I am reading. everything i can. but I dont understand it yet so what im reading makes little sense still.

thanks for the help,
Kirk

[kirk_varra]

Following what you were saying I was able to figure it out with this. I was able to test it and it works. Thank you much for helping along the path i needed to look. I was lost.

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 DO
    SAY'Enter the new users Name.'
    PARSE UPPER PULL UserName 
		DO
			UserName = LEFT(UserName,22, )
		END
 END

The last time I tried the left command I made the mistake of not putting the pad in there after the 22, and also i had messed up the variable.

Thanks again.
Kirk

[dbzTHEdinosauer]

remove the ELSE and the NOP