# WRITE WORK FILE with Edit Mask **URL:** \ **Category:** Forum\ **Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Natural, Natural-on-Linux\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438 "2006-01-17T20:57:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Matthias1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@Matthias1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Matthias1)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/1 "2006-01-17T20:57:16Z")
Hello all! It’s not a real problem for me… But sometimes I wonder why it’s impossible to combine a “write work file” with an edit mask. Or is there a way I don’t know about? Regards, Matthias ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/2 "2006-01-25T19:57:41Z")
Why don’t take a Printfile? Like this Natural on Host Code? ```auto WRITE (01) NOTITLE NOHDR USING MAP 'MYMAP' ``` You only have to cut off the Newpages with an external Tool ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/3 "2006-01-25T20:56:00Z")
You’ll get spaces inserted between the various fields in that case, if that doesn’t matter - fine 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/4 "2006-01-25T21:24:55Z")
Which other case could afford the use of a Map other than with Spaces? The Map-Editor doesn’t take fields without space between them, or? ---
**Author:** ![Matthias1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@Matthias1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Matthias1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/5 "2006-01-25T21:25:19Z")
> [@Sascha Wiegandt](#): > > Why don’t take a Printfile? Here’s a part of my NATURAL-code: ```auto define data local 01 #workfile_name (A50) 01 #workfile_delimiter (A1) const <';'> * * ... * end-define define work file 1 #workfile_name type 'ASCII' * * and later in the code * if view.logical-field #a := 'Y' else #a := 'N' end-if * write work file 1 view.Alpha-field #workfile_delimiter view.Numeric-field #workfile_delimiter #a ``` I guess it would get more complex if i would do it with a printfile… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/6 "2006-01-25T21:32:26Z")
> [@Wiegandt](#): > > The Map-Editor doesn’t take fields without space between them, or? No, that’s due to the “attribute bytes” ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/7 "2006-01-25T21:40:04Z")
> [@Matthias](#): > > > [@Sascha Wiegandt](#): > > > > Why don’t take a Printfile? > > Here’s a part of my NATURAL-code: > > ```auto > define data local > 01 #workfile_name (A50) > 01 #workfile_delimiter (A1) const <';'> > * > * ... > * > end-define > > define work file 1 #workfile_name type 'ASCII' > * > * and later in the code > * > if view.logical-field > #a := 'Y' > else > #a := 'N' > end-if > * > write work file 1 > view.Alpha-field > #workfile_delimiter > view.Numeric-field > #workfile_delimiter > #a > ``` > > I guess it would get more complex if i would do it with a printfile… Looks like you want to write a csv-File. Why don’t use: ```auto compress view.Alpha-field view.Numeric-field with delimiter ';' into #av leaving no space ``` On Open Systems Alpha lenght Variable is a good type for that. On Host (Nat 3.2.1) its not possible. ---
**Author:** ![Ralph\_Zbrog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ralph_zbrog/32/78_2.png) [@Ralph\_Zbrog](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ralph_Zbrog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 7:18am UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/8 "2006-01-26T07:18:05Z")
I agree that an edit mask specification on a field in a WRITE WORK statement would be a nice enhancement. But for your specific requirement, change the IF to a MOVE EDITED as in MOVE EDITED view.logical-field (EM=‘N’/‘Y’) TO #A You can get fancy and use something like (EM=‘False’/‘True’) ---
**Author:** ![Matthias1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@Matthias1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Matthias1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/9 "2006-01-26T13:12:25Z")
> [@](#): > > MOVE EDITED view.logical-field (EM=‘N’/‘Y’) TO #A OK, my code was just a excerpt of a bigger program. Normally I’m doing much more inside my if-statements… But I guess you agree, that the following code would be the best solution: ```auto write work file 1 view.date-field (EM=YYYY-MM-DD) #workfile_delimiter view.logical-field (EM='N'/'Y') #workfile_delimiter ``` ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Pag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Peter\_Pag](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Peter_Pag)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:13pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/10 "2006-01-26T13:13:02Z")
> [@Wiegandt](#): > > ```auto > > compress view.Alpha-field view.Numeric-field with delimiter ';' into #av leaving no space > ``` By the way, to create CSV you always should use COMPRESS NUMERIC, otherwise signs and decimal points get lost. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/11 "2006-01-26T15:36:09Z")
As i said - With Nat 3.2.1 i can’t use compress because of max. Alpha 253 or A1/1:32000. But thank you for this hint. If i get in Future Nat4.2 i would know it 🙂 But on 3.2 i normaly generate a subprogramm which uses the input parameter area and write it down in csv-structure with also changing types from logical and nummeric to text. ---
**Author:** ![Matthias1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@Matthias1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Matthias1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/12 "2006-01-26T17:16:48Z")
> [@Sascha Wiegandt](#): > > Why don’t use: > > ```auto > compress view.Alpha-field view.Numeric-field with delimiter ';' into #av leaving no space > ``` There are at least three reasons: NAT0285 (when I run your code) NAT0100 (if I use a logical field inside compress) NAT0023 (if I use an Edit Mask inside compress) ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_Mendoza\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@Angel\_Mendoza\_O](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Angel_Mendoza_O)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/13 "2006-01-31T23:26:52Z")
Think I’ve been a programmer for 15 years, and today I learned something new. a new trick ```auto MOVE EDITED view.logical-field (EM='N'/'Y') TO #A ``` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/write-work-file-with-edit-mask/60438/14 "2021-04-02T14:40:24Z")