ARTICLE
Operands in Character String and Byte String Processing
Operands in Character String Processing
If you use character string processing (defined by the addition
IN
CHARACTER MODE in overloaded statements) and statements that only
support character string processing, the relevant operands must be
character-like. This is because the operands are processed by character
and the repository of the characters in the memory is dependent on the
code page used. This is absolutely essential
for character string processing to work properly.
It is checked, however, in different ways: In non-Unicode programs,
breaking this rule causes a syntax error or exception only in classes.
Outside of classes, breaking the rule in non-Unicode programs just
produces a warning in the syntax check, and no exceptions.
In Unicode programs, both the syntax check and runtime checks check the
rule inside and outside classes.
Note also that the concept "character-like" (or "character-type") is
more strictly defined in Unicode programs than in non-Unicode programs.
In Unicode programs, only data objects with the character-like data
types c , d , n , t , and string , or
structures with purely character-like components are themselves
character-like. Data objects with the types d , n , and
t and structures with purely character-like components are handled
like data objects with the type c (implicit casting is used).
In non-Unicode programs, any flat
structures and byte-like data objects can be character-like. These
operands of non-character-like data types are also handled like
character-like data objects with the type c (implicit casting),
regardless of their type.
This last point enables character string processing of byte strings in
non-Unicode programs to produce the same results as explicit byte string
processing in Unicode programs, if the statement is suitable as defined
in the table of statements .
Note
When you use the character-like data objects d , n , and
t in character string processing, note that the conversion rules
appropriate to type do not apply to the assignment of interim results to
target fields; instead the conversion rules for data type c
apply.
Operands in Byte String Processing
If you use byte string processing (defined by the addition IN BYTE
MODE in overloaded statements) and the statements GET BIT and
SET BIT , the relevant operands must be byte-like. This is because
the operands are processed by byte. This rule applies both inside and
outside classes and in both Unicode
and non-Unicode programs .
Documentation extract taken from SAP system, � Copyright SAP AG. All rights reserved
