Date:         Tue, 30 Jul 2002 12:11:26 -0500
Reply-To:     Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Subject:      real numbers in syntax (was Re: piece of code from TS-659)
Comments: To: peter.crawford@DB.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

 "Numeric constants expressed in standard notation can be integers,
 can
be specified WITH OR WITHOUT A PLUS OR MINUS SIGN, and can include
decimal places".
The following code should per definition to be ok, but it doesn't
work:

LENGTH  t0 $+12;
LENGTH  t1 $ +12;
LENGTH  t2 $ +12.;

Please don't ask about the meaning of my sign. This question leads
directly to the meaning of the dot ...

And now let's obtain some further seems to me at least partial curious
results.

LENGTH t3 $12.0;     works (ok, that's only another form of 12.)
LENGTH t4 $12.7;     works also (?!)  by the way: without rounding and
without any NOTE or WARNING
LENGTH t5 $1.2E1;   works (not only standard notation, scientific
notation works also)

My conclusion: Received: from DGRDOM-MTA by dgrm03.firsthealth.com I've learned (thank you Jack) that it is possible to
code a length attribute using a real constant. It is obviously not an
error or mistake.
But I can't agree that the real notation delivers any advantage and has
to be liked or preferred. Any length in bytes is an integer number and
you loose some transparency using real coded length attributes.

Thanks and really good times to all participants of the
LENGTH-discussion



Mit freundlichen Gruessen
Ihr Wolf F. Lesener

Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin
- Rechenzentrum -
Unter den Linden 6
10099 Berlin
Tel. (030) 2093 2464
Fax. (030) 2093 2959






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