Padding String With Blank

ganive · Post by **ganive** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:00 am

Hi All,

I thought I had something very simple to do... but it's not !!

Here's the deal :
I have a dataset, containing string defined as CHAR.
Datas in these string have been TRIMMED.
I want to generate a flat file, fixed length, based on the structure of this Dataset... so I have to add 0,1 or more blank (space) to each field.
At the moment, I just take the Dataset and link it to a flat file.

I thought using the $APT_STRING_PADCHAR in the job creating the Flat File and setting it to " " (space value) would fill my field with blank. It's not.
I tried to set padchar options in the Flat File format properties, I tried in the column properties... nothing.
My Flat File is OK in windows environment, or in DS view data. My field are (seem to be) also padded with space when reading via notepad for example.
But in UNIX, there's no padding... it appears that it is filled with Null value, seen as space in Windows, not seen in UNIX.

Right now, I don't see any solution except propagating space by not "Trimming" my data... but it's not a good choice because of the join operations I have to use etc...

Have you got any advice to solve the Problem ?

ThanX

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:56 am

ganive,

if you go to your output stage, choose your column and right-click to enter the "edit row" you will have some string options on the fill character to use. I'm not at a PX computer now, so I can't tell you the exact attribute to set, but that is the correct window to make this output in the format that you wish.

ganive · Post by **ganive** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 6:32 am

I tried this already...
Padchar options, Fill char...
Unfortunately it doesn't work... it seems that having the TRIM operation put in a CHAR string has already filled my column with "Null" value :s

ArndW wrote:ganive,

if you go to your output stage, choose your column and right-click to enter the "edit row" you will have some string options on the fill character to use. I'm not at a PX computer now, so I can't tell you the exact attribute to set, but that is the correct window to make this output in the format that you wish.

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 6:53 am

What about using VARCHAR() datatypes in the job as the result of a TRIM() and then letting the implicit conversion from varchar to char plus the output attributes take care of the padding?

ganive · Post by **ganive** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:15 am

Yes, I think it would have been the good way to realize our jobs.
A little bit more "difficult" to do now as we are not far from the end.

I've made a few test and it seems that putting the APT_STRING _PADCHAR option on the job where I put my TRIM value in the CHAR field is another way to solve the problem.

ThX

ArndW wrote:What about using VARCHAR() datatypes in the job as the result of a TRIM() and then letting the implicit conversion from varchar to char plus the output attributes take care of the padding?

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:20 am

Ganive - excellent solution; somehow I got this thread mixed up with the other one currently running with a similar subject content and recalled that the $APT_STRING_PADCHAR didn't work so I didn't even consider that approach. You've got the best solution for your issue now, though.

ganive · Post by **ganive** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:32 am

By the way... Thanks a lot for the Help !!

ArndW wrote:Ganive - excellent solution; somehow I got this thread mixed up with the other one currently running with a similar subject content and recalled that the $APT_STRING_PADCHAR didn't work so I didn't even consider that approach. You've got the best solution for your issue now, though.