Re: OPTIONS(*OMIT)/style question

[Simon Coulter <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 21/08/2009, at 8:28 PM, David FOXWELL wrote:

> Got an example of a constant to replace a parameter that is only on  
> the list to comply with the prototype?

Not really ... mostly because that description doesn't make sense. The  
prototype describes the required, optional, and omissable parameters.  
If it's omissable you can pass *OMIT, if it's optional you can simply  
not pass anything at all, if it's required you have to provide  
something. Now, if the 'something' is actually a special value that  
means 'nothing' (such as blanks) then it might be better to pass a  
named constant such as SELECT_NOTHING or SELECT_ALL depending on how  
the receiver treats blanks in that parameter.


> Was going to ask you what RTFM meant but knew how much you hate it  
> when people don't look things up first. So I googled RTFM and got a  
> shock. I don't think you were referring to Réseaux Télématique  
> Francophonie Multimedia.

No I wasn't ... but that can hardly be the first use of RTFM you've  
seen--even if not directed at you.

> Anyway, IIRC, the FM says that the special value *OMIT will be passed.

Not really. It says that a null address will be passed (paraphrasing  
but that's the gist of it).

> I guess that by passing *OMIT, I am expressly stating that the  
> caller must not use the parameter. So in my view this seems to be  
> the best way.

No, you are expressly saying the receiver must not use the parameter.

Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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