RS03841: CONCATENATING A CHAR LITERAL TO A STRING USING CRE (SEQUENTIAL OR FASTPATH) MAY YIELD THE ASCII CODE INSTEAD OF THE CHARACTER

21.0.2-WS-CP4BA-IF011
Operational Decision Manager V8.9.2.1: Interim Fix 54 for Engine

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When concatenating a char literal to a string, you may get the
  ASCII code of the character instead of the character itself.
  eg.    `@` + " some text"
  yields    64 some text
  
  This is happening when using the Classic Rule Engine with either
  the Sequential or Fastpath algorithms (not RetePlus). Decision
  Engine is not affected.
  
  The problem is not happening when using a variable of type char
  (only with literals).
  The problem is not happening either if the leftmost operand is
  of type String
  eg.    "" + `@` + " some text"
  yields    @ some text
  

Local fix

• use a literal of type String instead or insert  "" + to the left
  of the expression before the char literal
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * Using the Classic Rule Engine with either the Sequential or  *
  * Fastpath algorithms.                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * When concatenating a char literal to a string, you may get   *
  * the                                                          *
  * ASCII code of the character instead of the character itself. *
  * eg.    `@` + " some text"                                    *
  * yields    64 some text                                       *
  *                                                              *
  * This is happening when using the Classic Rule Engine with    *
  * either                                                       *
  * the Sequential or Fastpath algorithms (not RetePlus).        *
  * Decision                                                     *
  * Engine is not affected.                                      *
  *                                                              *
  * The problem is not happening when using a variable of type   *
  * char                                                         *
  * (only with literals).                                        *
  * The problem is not happening either if the leftmost operand  *
  * is                                                           *
  * of type String                                               *
  * eg.    "" + `@` + " some text"                               *
  * yields    @ some text                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The code is fixed.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WDS FOR RULES

• Fixed component ID

  5725B6903

Applicable component levels