Handling long strings in CHANGE

For character columns (CHAR,VARCHAR), you can specify from and to strings (from_string and to_string) up to 100 characters long. However, when you are dealing with long strings, you may find that you cannot fit the whole CHANGE command (including other parameters) on the command line. To overcome the problem, do one of the following to display an Extended Command Entry pop-up panel:

Enter CX (for Change Extended)
Enter the CHANGE primary command (or one of its abbreviations, such as C) with no parameters
Note: If you have previously used the CHANGE or FIND commands in the current Browse or Edit session, use the RESET command before entering the CHANGE command. Alternatively, enter CX.

The Extended Command Entry pop-up panel contains five lines (each 50 characters long) that you use to enter all the CHANGE command parameters (but not the actual keyword CHANGE or any of its abbreviations). FM/IMS treats the five lines on the pop-up panel as contiguous, allowing you to specify long from and to strings, the FM/IMS column number and optionally any other parameters, using up to 250 characters in total.

Note: You can continue a string (or any other parameter) from the last position on one line of the pop-up panel to the first position of the next line. However, this does not mean that you need to completely fill a line before using the next line. For example, you can specify the from string on the first of the five lines, the to string on the next line, and the FM/IMS column number (specified as #n) on the next line. If you do not use all of a line, FM/IMS treats the unused part of the line as a single space.

Extended Command Entry pop-up panel for the CHANGE command shows the Extended Command Entry pop-up panel for the CHANGE command. In this example, any occurrences of the string The Cappuccino Strip in FM/IMS are to be changed to the string LONG AND WINDING ROAD for non-excluded rows only.