Strange characters in data

[Walker, Chris]

It sounds like they started life as variable-length strings.  I would try to
identify the control character using DUMP/RECORD/BYTE, then trim the strings
with something like 

TEMP T_NDX NUM*2

DEF D_CTRL CHAR*1 = CHARACTER(<whatever the ASCII code is>)
DEF D_DESC CHAR*15 = DESC IF T_NDX LT 1 ELSE DESC[1: T_NDX - 1]

ITEM T_NDX = INDEX(DESC, D_CTRL)
ITEM DESC FINAL D_DESC

Chris Walker
Tate & Lyle
London

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Terry Pickering [SMTP:pickering@myself.com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, June 15, 1999 5:50 PM
> To:	powerh-l@lists.swau.edu
> Subject:	Strange characters in data
> 
> I'm converting a data file from another system. The system is written in
> VAX BASIC using RMS files. What should be a "normal" conversion has me
> stumped. The file has a field defined as character 15 and contains a "text
> description". I have the record defined in the dictionary and have no
> problems reading the file, reporting the elements etc. in QUIZ.  
> 
> However in QUICK, on some of the records where the field value is less
> than 15 characters in length, it displays the data with strange backwards
> "?" at the end. Sort of like this: "ITEM DESC??????", only the "?"'s are
> backwards. I suspect there are some kind of "null character" the BASIC
> programs didn't care about. What else is strange is in the QUICK screen,
> if I just go to the field, recall the data with an "up arrow", then update
> the data - it gets rid of them. 
> 
> In QTP I've tried doing a truncate on the field, re-defined it, everything
> to no avail. Any suggestions on how to strip out these trailing characters
> using QTP? 
> 
> 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
> Terry Pickering        Consultant Extraordinare 
> Monday and Friday        Tuesday - Thursday 
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> (503) 245-7178           (541) 687-3416 
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