Forcing decode() evaluation

From: Richard Christensen <richard_at_crl.crl.com>
Date: 10 Nov 1998 08:16:28 GMT
Message-ID: <728sos$521$3@nnrp1.crl.com>

Granted I am more of a C programmer than a SQL*PLUS programmer, maybe that is where I am having my problem.

I have the following lines of code that do work.

---

rem define cheat1="ANSI_M11PS1"
rem host PRINT/QUEUE=&&cheat1 /COPIES=&&ask_copies DIFFUSION_PASSDOWN.LIS

rem define cheat2="PRINT/QUEUE=&&cheat1 /COPIES=&&ask_copies DIFFUSION_PASSDOWN.LIS"
rem host &&cheat2

---

Now when I try to use a decode statement within a define statement, it isn't evaluated before the host statement. I have tried the following:

define ask_Printer = 1
define ask_copies = 1

define a='decode(&&ask_Printer,1,"ANSI_M11PS1")' define b='&&a'
host PRINT/QUEUE='&&a' /COPIES=&&ask_copies DIFFUSION_PASSDOWN.LIS host PRINT/QUEUE='&&b' /COPIES=&&ask_copies DIFFUSION_PASSDOWN.LIS

When the quotes all work out, VMS complains about not knowing what decode( means. Thus I know that the decode statment is not being evaluated.

As a side note. How does one print out variable in SQL to debug code. Talk about frustration.

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Richard Christensen                                          KC7JPQ     

Austin, TX
richard_at_crl.com Received on Tue Nov 10 1998 - 02:16:28 CST