Converts an expression of any data type, with the exception of BLOB, CLOB, and RAW, to a DECIMAL value.

Syntax

DECIMAL ( expression )
expression
If expression is a CHARACTER, then it must be valid for conversion into a number. (For example, 1.67 is valid but 1.x3 is not valid.) If expression is LOGICAL, then the result is 0 if expression is FALSE and 1 if expression is TRUE. If expression is a DATE, then the result is the number of days from 1/1/4713 B.C. to that date. If the value of expression is the Unknown value (?), then the result is also the Unknown value (?).

Example

The example procedure lets the user enter new values for CreditLimit in a special form. If the user enters the letter a, the procedure uses the standard a credit of 5000; if the user enters b, the procedure uses a value of 2000; if the user presses RETURN, the procedure uses a value of 1000. Otherwise, the user can enter any value for CreditLimit. The DECIMAL function converts the value entered into a decimal value.

r-decml.p 

DEFINE VARIABLE new-max AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO FORMAT "x(10)".

REPEAT:
  PROMPT-FOR Customer.CustNum WITH FRAME credit.
  FIND Customer USING Customer.CustNum.
  DISPLAY Customer.CustNum Customer.Name Customer.CreditLimit 
    WITH FRAME credit DOWN.
  DISPLAY "Enter one of:" SKIP(1)
    "a = 5000" SKIP
    "b = 2000" SKIP
    "RETURN = 1000"
    "A dollar value"
    WITH FRAME vals COLUMN 60.
  SET new-max WITH FRAME credit.
       IF new-max = "a" THEN Customer.CreditLimit = 5000.
  ELSE IF new-max = "b" THEN Customer.CreditLimit = 2000.
  ELSE IF new-max > "0" AND new-max < "999,999.99" THEN
    Customer.CreditLimit = DECIMAL(new-max).
  ELSE Customer.CreditLimit = 1000.

  DISPLAY Customer.CreditLimit WITH FRAME credit.
END.

See also

INTEGER function, STRING function