topic Re: Character Size and space problem in Application Development and Automation Discussions

Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:30:46 GMT

Hi,

Iam trying to output a comma delimited file in Application Server with a line feed (CRLF) at the end of each record.

I have declared my workarea as one long string which can hold all the output data along with the CRLF field as mentioned below.

DATA: BEGIN OF WA_DATA,

data(200) type c,

crlf type DTADNZ1-crlf, (Data type: RAW, Lenght: 2)

END OF WA_DATA.

Iam passing the string data to WA_DATA-data. Since it is a comma delimited it may not occupy all the 200 char size and the size will vary depedning on the data but will not exceed 200 char. This is fine.

I could even pass the line feed by saying:

WA_DATA-crlf = gv_crlf(2) TYPE c VALUE cl_abap_char_utilities=>cr_lf.

But the PROBLEM is:

It takes the line feed as '#' after 200 characters. But I wanna print this immdly after the end of the record/data.

I tried below options:

1) CONCATENATE (This does not support as CRLF is not of char type)

2) CONDENSE on WA_DATA-data to see whether it removes the trailing spaces. This also does'nt work and prints the line feed '#' after 200 char.

Can anyone please help if you have come across the similar situation. It is very urgent to fix. Appreciate your early response.

Points for sure.

Thx,

Smitha.

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:54:09 GMT

For each record, you can concatenate with Carraige return character.

Use CL_ABAP_CHAR_UTILITIES->NEWLINE for the same.

Please let me know if this works.

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:22:58 GMT

Hi Ashish,

I tried the option you have given. It shows <LF> at the end of the string. It was showing the same for CRLF as <CR/LF> when I forced to place the CRLF in a string by giving offsetting (WA_DATA+54. I got 54 after reading the string length. It could be a wierd logic).

Now, Iam wondering whether we are correct. But the PROBLEM is I dont know how to test whether it really give a Newline/CarriageReturnLineFeed at the end of the record. Appreciate if you could tell me how to test this whether they really work.. Now they show as a contineous string with # some where in the middile of the data.

Thanks in advance.

Simtha.

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:26:40 GMT

Can you run the program and download the file to application server? Later you can see file content using AL11 transaction.

The other way to test the same is write a temporary program which will upload this file and you can display the content on the screen and see if it is working as expected. Can you try this?

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:01:43 GMT

Ashish,

Tried downloading the data. On the application Server it shows at the end of records as <LF>. Even when you download that it goes to the next line (Used NEWLINE as given by u) . But the problem is it still occupy the length of 200 by displaying the data that it has has and padds with spaces for the rest and then it goes to the new line. <It appears as the data is downloaded correctly but the spaces still exist in the file which we dont want>.

Can we have the size of the field (200 char) generate dynamically as the length of the text or if you have any other solution for this. Please do let me know. I think Iam close to solution. Please do help.

Thx,

Smitha.

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:11:07 GMT

I just thought of this logic. You can try this if it helps.

You will loop at internal table to pass data to the file.

In the loop, get the concatenated value of the data. Assign the exact value (you will have to check with STRLEN to find exact value) to a field symbol. And pass this to the file.

This is something you will have to try out. Hope it helps.

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:13:37 GMT

oops! field symbols are scary for me

Do you have any small test program..??

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:18:17 GMT

I saw the help in TRANSFER statement, you can specify desired length. In this way, you can find exact length of each record and pass the same variable at the end.

Please read this. It will help you to finish this assignment. Please reward point if it helps.

TRANSFER

Syntax

TRANSFER dobj TO dset [LENGTH len]

[NO END OF LINE].

Extras:

1. ... LENGTH len

2. ... NO END OF LINE

Effect

This statement passes the content of data object dobj to the file specified in dset. For dobj, you can specify data objects with elementary data types and flat structures. In Unicode programs, dobj must be character-type if the file was opened as a text file (this restriction does not apply to legacy text files).

dset is expected to be a character-type data object that contains the platform-specific name of the file. The content is written to the file from the current file pointer. After the transfer, the file pointer is positioned after the data that was added. You can use addition LENGTH to restrict the number of characters or bytes transferred

In a Unicode program, the file for writing, appending, or changing must be open. Otherwise, a treatable exception occurs.

If the file was not yet opened in a non-Unicode programm, it is implicitly opened using the statement

OPEN DATASET dset FOR OUTPUT IN BINARY MODE.

as a binary file for writing. If the system accesses an invalid file, a treatable exception is raised.

The Influence of Access Type

The access type defined in statement OPEN DATASET has the following effect on the transfer:

A file opened for reading using FOR INPUT cannot be written in Unicode programs. In non-Unicode programs, TRANSFER writes in a file opened for reading using FOR INPUT in exactly the same way as a file openedfor changing using FOR UPDATE.

In a file opened for writing using FOROUTPUT, the system writes to the file from the current file pointer. If the file pointer is positioned after the current start of the file, the file is pre-filled with hexadecimal 0 from the start of the file to the file pointer.

In a file opened for appending using FOR APPENDING, the system writes to the file from the current file pointer, which is always at the end of the file.

In a file opened for changing using FOR UPDATE, the system writes to the file from the current file pointer. If the file pointer is positioned after the end of the file, the file is pre-filled with hexadecimal 0 between the end of the file and the file pointer position.

Note

Prior to release 6.10: If parts of a file were to be overwritten, it was only possible to write to a file opened for reading. This is not allowed in Unicode programs. As of release 6.10 and later, you can open a file for changing which is the recommended procedure also for non-Unicode programs.

The Influence of Storage Type

The transfer depends on the storage type used when the file is opened using the statement OPEN DATASET. If the specified storage type requires conversion, it is carried out before the write process.

If the file was opened as a text file or a legacy text file, the trailing blank characters are deleted for all data objects, except for those of data type string. The line end marker defined when the file was opened is then added to the remaining content of the data object or to the result of the conversion, and the final result is written byte-by-byte to the file.

As of release 6.40, the appending of the end of line separator can be prevented using NO END OF LINE.

If the file was opened as a binary file or a legacy binary file, the content of the data object or the result of the conversion is written byte-by-byte to the file.

Note

Only character-type data objects should be written to text files. Only byte-type data objects should be written to binary files. To store numerical data objects or mixed structures, we recommend that you assign them to character-type or byte-type typed field symbols using the CASTING addition of the statement ASSIGN and save these field symbols.

Addition 1

... LENGTH len

Effect

This addition determines how many characters or how many bytes of data object dobj are written to the file. len is expected to be a data object of type i that contains the number of characters or bytes. In text files, the content of len specifies the number of characters that are written from the storage. For binary files, legacy text file, and legacy binary files, len specifies the number of bytes that are written to the file. The first len characters or bytes are transferred and alignment gaps are included in the structures. If the addition LENGTH is not specified, all characters or bytes are transferred.

If the value of len is less than or equal to 0, no characters or bytes are transferred. If the file is opened as a (legacy) text file, however, a line end marker is inserted into the file by default. If the value of len is greater than the number of characters or bytes in dobj, hexadecimal 0 or blank characters are transferred to the file instead of the missing bytes or characters, depending on whether the file was opened as a (legacy) text file or a (legacy) binary file.

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:08:41 GMT

Ashish,

Thanks for searching the answer me. unfortunately Iam not using TRANSFER statement to write the data into application server. Iam populating the workarea and passing it to buffer in the Std.prog and the Std.program take care of writing it to app server.

Can you please send me some sample code on fieldsymbols if you have. I will try the option you said on field-symbols.

Thanks again,

Smitha

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:10:40 GMT

Sorry for the confusion with field symbols. I tried working on that option but felt it will not be of any use. So i gave you this another idea.

I did not get your point - you said you are writing to a buffer and it is passed to standard program, can you explain in detail?

Message was edited by:

Ashish Gundawar

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:26:25 GMT

Oh is it No issues

Thanks for spending time in answering.

Can anyone please answer me with this issue. Its a kind of urgent. Please!!

Thanks,

Smitha

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:17:18 GMT

Hi Smitha,

You need to use MOVE statement to transfer data.

This will occupy only the actual length of data in the file.

MOVE WA_DATA to p_file.

Best regards,

Prashant

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:49:22 GMT

Hi Prashant,

This also did not work. Can we define the size of the character field dynamically??

Actually the spaces are not getting removed..

Please respond.

Thx,

Smitha

Re: Character Size and space problem

Former Member — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:17:38 GMT

Problem resolved!