Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Basic Database Tools

Table String Attributes

The String Attributes option allows you to control how much space is allocated within an r-code text segment for a string. It is important when you translate a string that you specify enough space for the translated string. String attributes can also specify the text justification within the r-code and whether or not the Translation Manager should translate the string. When you choose String Attributes, the Table String Attributes dialog box shown in Figure 9–5 appears.

Figure 9–5: Table String Attributes dialog box

The Table String Attributes dialog box contains the following fields:

Label

Specifies the string attribute characters for the table label.

Validation Message

Specifies the string attribute characters for the table validation message.

Use the following syntax to enter the string attribute label:

[ R | L | C | T ] [ U ] [ max-length ]

Table 9–3 describes the string attribute control characters you can enter in the label field.

Table 9–3: String Attribute characters 

Character	Description
R	Specifies to right justify the string.
L	Specifies to left justify the string.
C	Specifies to center the string.
T	Specifies to remove trailing spaces during string display. The trailing spaces are not actually removed, but are replaced with null values. The OpenEdge RDBMS does not display null values.
U	Indicates that the Translation Manager and the compiler should not translate the string.
max-length	Specifies the amount of space allocated for the text segment. You can specify a number from 1 to 999.

You can specify the characters in any order but can only use each character once. Also, you cannot use any of the letters in conjunction with each other, except for U. If you do not specify the maximum length, the OpenEdge RDBMS uses the length of the original string.

If you do not specify justification, the compiler left-justifies the string by default, unless the string is a column label. If the string is a column label for a decimal or integer column or a side label, it is right justified.

Table 9–4 lists several examples of string attributes.

Table 9–4: String Attribute examples 

Example	Meaning
L15	Specifies a width of 15 characters within the r-code text segment and left-justifies the string within the allocated space.
15R	Specifies a width of 15 characters within the r-code text segment and right-justifies the string within the allocated space.
T20	Specifies a width of 20 characters and trims the leading and trailing spaces within the allocated space.
UC20	Specifies a width of 20 characters and centers the string within the allocated space. Also indicates that the Translation Manager should not translate the string.
20RU	Specifies a width of 20 characters and right-justifies the string within the allocated space. Also indicates that the Translation Manager should not translate the string.
30	Specifies a width of 30 characters.

See OpenEdge Development: Progress 4GL Reference for more information about string attributes and string translation.