11.3.1 MTXT Variable Name
Mandatory.
Specify the name of the multilingual variable.
Rules
- Must use "*MTXT" for first 5 characters.
- Rest of the name must be from 1 to 15 characters and cannot contain imbedded blanks.
- Must be unique within the current partition.
Warnings
- Most *MTXT references are included at compile time. Change of an *MTXT variable will require application recompile. This is where the field/default value/cross reference capability is most useful. Exception is use of *MTXT variables as message text. In this situation the derivation is dynamic, so no recompiles are required.
Tips & Techniques
- Use a maximum of 3 characters for function key names as the input field on RDML commands is only 8 characters long.
- Develop and use naming standards for *MTXT variables.
- In packaged systems, use obscure prefixes to preserve uniqueness.
- Use as default value for fields in the repository, rather than direct RDML reference, is preferable when intention is to use as panel or report text. Improves cross referencing capabilities.
- Fields in the repository should have a naming standard too. It should equate to the naming standard used for the multilingual variable that is used as its default value.