IA - Input Assign Character

This Natural profile and session parameter defines the character to be used as the assignment character for the input parameter processing in INPUT statements, either in keyword/delimiter mode or when processing data from the Natural stack.

Possible settings any special character Assignment character for the input parameter processing in INPUT statements.
Default setting = Equals sign.
Dynamic specification yes  
Specification within session yes  
Applicable statements SET GLOBALS  
Applicable command GLOBALS  
Application programming interface USR0350N, USR1005N *

See SYSEXT - Natural Application Programming Interfaces in the Utilities documentation.

* Recommended.

Notes:

  1. The character specified with the IA parameter must not be the same as the character specified with the DC (decimal character) or ID (input delimiter character) parameter. In addition, we recommend that this character is not the same as the one specified with the CF (control character for mainframe terminal commands) or HI (help character) parameter.
  2. Within a Natural session, the profile parameter IA can be overridden by the session parameter IA.
  3. Under Natural Security, the setting of this parameter can be overridden by the Session Parameters option of the Library Profile.

Example:

In the following example, it is assumed that, for the beginning, the default input assign character (=) applies. 

** Example 'IACHAR': Input Assign character                             
************************************************************************
DEFINE DATA LOCAL                                                       
1 #A (A1)                                                               
1 #B (A1)                                                               
END-DEFINE                                                              
*                                                                       
INPUT #A #B                                                             
*                                                                       
WRITE 'Field #A:' #A  / 'Field #B:' #B                                  
*                                                                       
END

  1. Enter the command

    IACHAR #A=Y,#B=X

    The program produces the following output:

    Page      1                                                  05-01-19  11:05:51
                                                                               
Field #A: Y                                                                    
Field #B: X

  2. Enter the command

    GLOBALS IA=:

    This sets the input assign character to colon (:).

  3. Then enter the command

    IACHAR #B:X,#A:Y

    The program produces the following output:

    Page      1                                                  06-11-13  12:12:24
                                                                               
Field #A: Y                                                                    
Field #B: X