How can I SELECT records using a select list made of foreign keys? - universe

Question

I have a table, DEBTOR, with a structure like this:
and a second table, DEBTOR.INFO structured like this:
I have a select list made of record IDs from the DEBTOR.INFO table. How can I
select * from DEBTOR WHERE 53 IN (name of select list)?
Is this even possible?
I realize this query looks more like SQL than RetrieVe but I wrote it that way for an easier understanding of what I'm trying to accomplish.
Currently, I accomplish this query by writing
SELECT DEBTOR WITH 53 EQ [paste list of DEBTOR.INFO record IDs]
but obviously this is unwieldy for large lists.

Answer 1

It looks to me that you cant do that. Even if you use and i-descriptor, It only works in one direction. TRANS("DEBTOR.INFO",53,0,"X") works from the DEBTOR file but not the other way. So TRANS("DEBTOR",#ID,53,"X") from DEBTOR.INFO will return nothing.
See this article on U2's site for a possible solution.

Answer 2

Would something like this work (two steps):
SELECT DEBTOR.INFO SAVING PACKET
LIST DEBTOR ....
This creates a select list of the data in the PACKET field in the DEBTOR.INFO file and makes it active. (If you have duplicate values that way you can add the keyword UNIQUE after SAVING).
Then the subsequent LIST command uses that active select list which contains values found in the #ID field of the file DEBTOR.

Answer 3

Not sure if you are still looking at this, but there is a simple option that will not require a lot of programming.
I did it with a program, a subroutine and a dictionary item.
First I set a named common variable to contain the list of DEBTOR.INFO ids:
SETLIST
*
* Use named common to hold list of keys
COMMON /MYKEYS/ KEYLIST
*
* Note for this example I am reading the list from SAVEDLISTS
OPEN "SAVEDLISTS" TO FILE ELSE STOP "CAN NOT OPEN SAVEDLISTS"
READ KEYLIST FROM FILE, "MIKE000" ELSE STOP "NO MIKE000 ITEM"
Now, I can create a subroutine that checks for a value in that list
CHECKLIST
SUBROUTINE CHECKLIST( RVAL, IVAL)
COMMON /MYKEYS/ KEYLIST
LOCATE IVAL IN KEYLIST <1> SETTING POS THEN
RVAL = 1
END ELSE RVAL = 0
RETURN
Lastly, I use a dictionary item to call the subroutine with the field I am looking for:
INLIST:
I
SUBR("CHECKLIST", FK)
IN LIST
10R
S
Now all I have to do is put the correct criteria on my list statement:
LIST DEBTOR WITH INLIST = 1 ACCOUNT STATUS FK

Answer 4

Id use the very powerfull EVAL with an XLATE ;
SELECT DEBTOR WITH EVAL \XLATE('DEBTOR.INFO',#RECORD<53>,'-1','X')\ NE ""