How do I chain to a file with a var char key field from a non varchar file

Thanks same here. Is my explanation understandable?

Can't say I've tried it.  

Are you getting an error?  If so, show your code and the full error (f1 the error for extended help).

Basic process should be:

• declare a variable with the same data type and length as the key field
• move the fixed-length character data in using %trim:
• chain using the variable length field

d varlenkey          s                              like(dbfield)
 ...
varlenkey = %trim(fixedlenfield);
chain (varlenkey) file;
 
- Gary Patterson

I tried a eval with a %trim into the var char field but it keeps trailing blanks and cannot find the record. I also tried move and movel. Then I tried the following:
  ** loanr0001 is the field in the file                                    
  ** This has two components                                            
  **  VFB - A binary prefix that tells OS400 how many bytes to store    
  **  dea - The actual string                                            
 d loanr00001ds    ds                                                  
 d vfb                            2b 0                                  
 d dea                           15          
 move the field into the variable length field        
                  movel(p)  dea311        dea          
                                                       
 Calculate the last bytes                              
    ' '           checkr    dea           vfb          
                                                       
                  eval      loanr00001 = loanr00001ds  
and the chain with LOANR00001. It then gives me the error that the field is to short. Please help don't know what to do anymore.                          
                                                                         

Please post the DDL for the file (or a DSPFFD) and a screen print of the error message, including the second level error message text (F1 on the error message):

Also, please post the code with the trim that left the trailing spaces but didn't throw an error message.

- Gary

This worked fine for me.

DDL:

CREATE TABLE 
   VARKEY (VARYKEY1 VARCHAR (50 ) NOT NULL WITH DEFAULT PRIMARY KEY, 
   DATA CHAR (50 ) NOT NULL WITH DEFAULT)

RPG:
      
fvarkey    if   e           k disk    rename(varkey:varkeyl) 
d fixed           s             15a   inz('PATTERSON')       
d var             s                   like(varykey1)         
                                                             
 /free                                                       
   var = %trim(fixed);                                       
   chain var varkey;                                         
   dump(a);                                                  
   *inlr = *on;                                              
 /end-free

Select allOpen in new window

DEA311  15char
loanr00001 15 var char

loanr           S                   like(loanr00001)

 /FREE                    
  LOANR = %TRIM(DEA311);  
  chain loanr commi4_l1;  
 /END-FREE          
Program won't compile complains that Factor 1 is not the same as the first key field  
     

Also, suggest you create my example and see if it works for you.  (You'll need to populate one record in teh table, too).

That would eliminate version issues and compile option issues.

- Gary

Thanks still had the convert in the program. Sorry about that.