An arithmetic expression consists of value expressions and arithmetic operators. The value expressions must all be numeric. You can use an arithmetic expression anywhere the syntax of a DEC DATATRIEVE statement allows a value expression. DEC DATATRIEVE provides four arithmetic operators. These are + (addition), - (subtraction or negation), * (multiplication), and / (division). You do not have to use spaces to separate arithmetic operators from value expressions, except in one case: if a DEC DATATRIEVE name precedes a minus sign, you must put a space before the minus sign. Otherwise, DEC DATATRIEVE interprets the minus sign as a hyphen and converts it to an underscore: DTR> DECLARE X PIC 99. DTR> X = 8 DTR> PRINT X-1 "X_1" is undefined or used out of context DTR> PRINT 1-X -7 DTR> You can use parentheses to control the order in which DEC DATATRIEVE performs arithmetic operations. DEC DATATRIEVE follows the normal rules of precedence when evaluating arithmetic expressions: 1. DEC DATATRIEVE first evaluates any value expressions in parentheses. 2. DEC DATATRIEVE then performs multiplications and divisions from left to right in the arithmetic expression. 3. Finally, DEC DATATRIEVE performs additions and subtractions from left to right in the arithmetic expression. The following examples show how DEC DATATRIEVE evaluates arithmetic expressions: DTR> PRINT (6 * 7) + 5 47 DTR> PRINT 6 * (7 + 5) 72 DTR> PRINT 6 + 7 * 5 41 DTR> PRINT 12 - 6 * 2 0 DTR> PRINT 5 + 10 / 2 10 DTR> DEC DATATRIEVE performs arithmetic operations on relational databases null values according to SQL/Services[TM] standards. For example: an arithmetic or string operation generates null when one of the operands is null. DTR> FOR X IN EMPLOYEE_MANAGER_TABLE PRINT EMP_ID EMP_ID 10 15 30 NULL NULL DTR> FOR X IN EMPLOYEE_MANAGER_TABLE PRINT EMP_ID + 1000 1010 1015 1030 NULL NULL DTR>