10.10 FIELD Declarations

Syntax

IS fldname

FIELD[S][IN]fname

ARE fldname, fldname...

Fname is an internal file name declared in a previous FILE declaration. Each fldname being declared must match a field name of the data dictionary for the C/Base RMS data file. Within a single file, you cannot list the same field more than once.

Purpose

Every field used in a report program must be declared. At runtime, the Report Writer will read the dictionary to get information it needs about each field declared. Declared fields are allowed to be unreferenced.

Handling of nonunique field names.

When making a reference to a field, the compiler will try to determine from the FIELD declarations which file is associated with the field. If there is more than one file which has this field, the associated file must be implied or explicit. Statements which reference a file will set up an implicit file reference for the duration of the statement. When the implied file is not wanted or there is none, an explicit file reference must be made. The syntax for doing this is:

fname.fldname

Examples:

FIELDS IN vend_mst ARE

vendor_code,

name,

balance;

FIELD IN master IS only_one;

FIELD mag ARE magazine, title;