Database fields

[bblair34]

I am still new at Progress Database Administration so bare with me.

When assigning values to fields, I can assign a value that is larger than the format in the schema.

When I print/display the field, it prints the length of the field.

But when I use a format statement I can print a larger length than the length of the field.

Can someone explain this to me???

 

[MurrayH]

This is quite normal. The "x(8)" you set in the database is simply the display format default. Ie, it will use "x(8)" {or whatever you set} unless you over-ride it with the format statement. So, Progress can store, I think, up to 32,000 characters in a character field regardless of the format.

Now, this will get you into SERIOUS trouble if you ever try and convert to Oracle using the DataServer as in Oracle "x(8)" means no more than 8 characters!!

Hope that helps

Murray

 

[bblair34]

Thanks, and
by the way we do convert data to Oracle using the Dataserver.

 

[MurrayH]

Thats the way to do it .. although I re-wrote some some of Progress' conversion routines because I had the problem above and the DataServer for Oracle doesn't handle it too well.

Murray