Xerox 701P21091 manual Test expressions, Coding a test expression

Using logical processing

Test expressions

To define a logical processing command fully, you must specify one or two fields in the record that will be tested. In general, a logical processing command has the following format:

parameter command-keyword = options, ...,

command-keyword TEST = testexp, ...;

The testexp parameter of a logical processing command defines a test that will be performed on either one or two specified fields and their associated contents. The test result is a TRUE or FALSE value. The fields in the current data record are compared with either of the following:

•One or more constants associated with the test, using either an EQUAL (EQ) or a NOT EQUAL (NE) operator.

•The contents of the field in prior records using a NOT EQUAL (NE) operator.

The basic element used to describe a test for a logical function is the CRITERIA command.

Coding a test expression

To activate testing, you code the TEST parameter of any logical processing command that has one. (For information on constructing the TEST parameter, refer to the command description, Syntax section, for the command you want to code.)

Criteria identifiers In the TEST parameter, you must include one or two criteria (criids) identifiers (criids), which you specify in the CRITERIA command.

These criid options are the identifiers of the CRITERIA commands that specify the location of the test fields and what they will be compared to.

Exceptions There are two special cases in which the TEST parameter does not function as described above, and the CRITERIA command fails:

•For offline printing: the record is too short to include the whole field that is being tested. (For online printing, the record is padded with blanks to make it large enough.)

3-2 Using LCDS Print Description Language