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NLSWITCHBUF
NM and CM callable.
Converts a string of characters from phonetic order to screen order or
from screen order to phonetic order.
Syntax
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| |
| I16V CA CA |
| NLSWITCHBUF(langnum,instring,outstring, |
| I16V U16V U16A |
| stringlength,left-to-right,error);|
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Parameters
langnum 16-bit signed integer by value (required)
Contains the language ID number.
instring character array (required)
Contains the string, in phonetic order, to be
converted to screen order.
outstring character array (required)
Contains the string after conversion. Outstring
and instring can reference the address.
stringlength 16-bit signed integer by value (required)
Contains the length, in bytes, of the string to be
converted.
left-to-right 16-bit unsigned integer by value (required)
Specifies whether the implied primary mode of the
data (if displayed on a terminal) is left-to-right
(true) or right-to-left (false), determining which
language it is and which strings of characters to
switch.
error 16-bit unsigned integer array (required)
Returns two elements: the first element is the
error number; the second element is reserved and
always returns 0. The possible error number values
are:
Value Meaning
0 Successful
1 *NLS not installed
2 *Specified language not installed
3 Invalid string length
4 Not returned
5 *NLS internal error
6 *NLS internal error
* Do not apply to calls with langnum equal to 0
(NATIVE3000/XL).
Operation Notes
This intrinsic is designed to handle data for languages written from
right-to-left (for example, ARABIC). Screen order is defined
right-to-left if the primary mode of the terminal or printer is from
right-to-left, as it is when used principally for entering or displaying
data from a right-to-left language. Otherwise, screen order is defined
to be left-to-right.
NLSWITCHBUF can be used by a program to convert a buffer phonetic order
(the order in which the characters is typed at the terminal or spoken by
a person) to screen order (the order in which the characters are
displayed on a terminal screen or piece of paper). It can also convert
data from screen order to phonetic order.
In general, phonetic order and screen order are not the same if USASCII
text is mixed with text from a right-to-left language. The relationship
between phonetic order and screen order is further complicated by the use
of HINDI digits in ARABIC. (HINDI digits play a third role intermediate
between ASCII characters and characters of the right-to-left language.)
This intrinsic is designed for a special purpose. Its primary value lies
in its application to languages that are written from right-to-left and
that may intermix left-to-right text (for example, the use of ENGLISH in
ARABIC text).
NLSWITCHBUF can serve the needs of a general program, one not
specifically designed for handling right-to-left data. A general program
can call NLSWITCHBUF to convert data from phonetic order to screen order
and back to phonetic order. One example is an editor that needs to track
cursor movement on a terminal against a buffer of text in memory. If the
data is not a right-to-left language, then this intrinsic returns the
same text (unchanged); for all other languages, phonetic order and screen
order are the same.
Related Information
Intrinsics NLCOLLATE, NLKEYCOMPARE, NLREPCHAR, NLSTRANSLATE,
NLSUBSTR
Commands None
Manuals Native Language Programmer's Guide (32650-90022)