RECORD
The RECORD
keyword defines a structured type or variable.
Syntax 1 (explicit record definition)
RECORD [ attributes-list ]
member { data-type
| LIKE [dbname:]tabname.colname
}
[ attributes-list ]
[,...]
END RECORD
where attributes-list
is:
ATTRIBUTES ( attribute [ = "value" ] [,...] )
- member is an identifier for a record member / field.
- data-type is a data type, a record definition, a user defined type, an array definition, a built-in class, an imported package class, or a Java class.
- dbname identifies a specific database schema file.
- tabname.colname references a column defined in the database schema file.
- attribute is an attribute to extend the record or record member definition with properties.
- value is the value for the record definition attribute, it is optional for boolean attributes.
Syntax 2 (database column based record)
RECORD [ attributes-list ] LIKE [dbname:]tabname.*
where attributes-list
is:
ATTRIBUTES ( attribute [ = "value" ] [,...] )
- dbname identifies a specific database schema file.
- tabname.* references the structure of a complete table defined in the database schema file.
- attribute is an attribute to extend the record definition with properties.
- value is the value for the record definition attribute, it is optional for boolean attributes.
Usage
A record defines an ordered set of variables called members. Each record member is defined with a specific type or in turn, structured type.
Tip: Consider defining a user type for
records, to avoid repeating the record definition for each variable.
Records whose members correspond in number, order, and data type compatibility to a database table can be useful for transferring data from the database to the screen, to reports, or to functions.
In the first form (Syntax 1), record members are defined
explicitly:
DEFINE rec RECORD
cust_id INT,
cust_name VARCHAR(50),
cust_address VARCHAR(100),
...
END RECORD
In the second form (Syntax 2), record members are created implicitly from the table definition
found in the database schema file specified by the
SCHEMA
instruction:SCHEMA stock
...
DEFINE rec RECORD LIKE customer.*
Important: When using the
LIKE
clause, the data types are taken from
the database schema file during compilation. Make
sure that the database schema file of the development database corresponds to the production
database, otherwise the records defined in the compiled version of your programs will not match the
table structures of the production database. Statements like SELECT * INTO record.* FROM
table
would fail.