Ok, we are probably mixing some definitions up here....
With length I mean the Progress function Length and not a field name. Length is
NOT something you set. Length is a progress function which returns the length of the data in a field.
From online help Length:
Returns the number of characters, bytes, or columns in a string, or returns the number of bytes in an expression of type RAW or a BLOB field, as an INTEGER value.
So if the actual content of a field is 100 characters and the dislay format = 'X(8)' then length would return: 100.
Code:
message length(fieldname) view-as alert-box.
I was able to update the LENGTH field in the table manually
If you say you where able to set LENGTH for a particular table then I really wonder what you did, since length function is read-only and only applies to a (read this as 1) field and not to a whole set of records which is what a table is.
but if LENGTH is truly the length of the current value, why did it not change until I told it to use 20 as the LENGTH?
I already answered that one.
So now back to your problem:
you say:
I wanted PackingSlip.rpt returned, but every call to it would return PackingS
How do you return this?
Show me some code, then I can tell you what the problem is.
If you use put then you have to say: put unformatted to get the data without the display format.....
And while we at it: Progress version would be nice too
Regards,
Casper.