Automatic item conversions
When mapping an item to an item and the input items have the same subclass as the output items, the item type properties of the input item are automatically used as the item type properties of the output item.
For example, an item type is defined according to the following:
Item Subclass = Number
Presentation = Decimal with a required decimal separator
Pad = Yes
Padded to = Fixed Size
Padded to > Length = 7 bytes
Pad > Value = 0
Pad > Justify = Right
If an input type is defined as a decimal number, with no pad character, no separator, and two decimal places, the following table shows an example of input and output types of an item type definition.
| Property | Input Type | Output Type |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Decimal | Decimal |
| Separators | No | Yes |
| Places > Decimal Min | 2 | 2 |
| Pad > Value | (none) | 0 |
| Padded to | (none) | 7 |
| Justify | (none) | Right |
The input data is automatically converted to the format of the output data object. The output data will be in decimal format, right justified, padded to 7 bytes with a pad character of 0.
An input item mapped to an output item must have the same Item Subclass. For example, both items must have an Item Subclass = Number or both must have an Item Subclass = Text. To convert the Item Subclass of an item, use the conversion functions, such as NUMBERTOTEXT, TEXTTODATE, and so forth.