Filing routine for IND index for alphabetic characters followed by numeric

• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 20, 21, 22, 23
• Relevant for Installation Type: Dedicated-Direct, Direct, Local, Total Care

Description:
What filing identifier/routine (tab_filing) can we use to properly sort new IND index when field contains non-numeric followed by numeric characters? We want to search the GUI using this string: ssj###

We'd like them to sort in this order:

ssj57
ssj234
ssj666
ssj123456
ssj234567
ssj654321
ssj934562

We defined new field and IND index: SSJ. Seeing that other numerical IND indexes use filing identifier 21, we tried using it. But searching in GUI by "ssj666" resulted in a display that sorts as if the numeric portion is decimal.

ssj123456
ssj234
ssj234567
ssj57
ssj654321
ssj666
ssj934562

Resolution:
You need the numeric portion to be treated as a whole number. Two filing routines do that: lc_call_no and expand_num.

lc_call_no may not work with more than two alpha characters at the beginning. And handles only 4 numbers. Article "*lc_call_no* tab_filing routine *MASTER RECORD*"  KB 16384-10097 discusses it.

expand_num is likely to work better. It files these like this:

ssj000000000000057
ssj000000000000234
ssj000000000000666
ssj000000000123456
ssj000000000234567
ssj000000000654321
ssj000000000934562

• Article last edited: 12-Mar-2016