Problem with SQR procedure using MAX in select

["He who is satisfied....fails" <NMOSCARITOLO@APOLLO.BENTLEY.EDU>]

Question:

What does this procedure return?  After running this procedure, it returns
NULL to the variable $max_seqno. I think it should return the character '0'.
The WHERE brings back NO rows but the MAX function seems to put NULL in
&col_max_seqno and in turn MOVES NULL to $max_seqno.  Is this right ?

BEGIN-PROCEDURE get_seqno
  move '0' to $max_seqno
BEGIN-SELECT
max(sarappd_seq_no) + 1       &col_max_seqno
  move &col_max_seqno to $max_seqno
FROM saturn.sarappd
WHERE sarappd_pidm = $pidm
AND sarappd_term_code_entry = $term
AND sarappd_appl_no = $appl_no
END-SELECT
END-PROCEDURE

Please let me know !

NICK MOSCARITOLO
Sr P/A II
Bentley College