| **Navigation:**  [[introduction.htm|Language Reference]] > 3 - Variable Declarations > Data Types >====== PDECIMAL (signed packed decimal) ====== | [[decimal  signed packed decimal .htm|{{btn_prev_n.gif|Previous page}}]][[introduction.htm|{{btn_home_n.gif|Return to chapter overview}}]][[astring  atomic string .htm|{{btn_next_n.gif|Next page}}]] |
|  ||

| label **PDECIMAL(**//length //[,//places//] [,//initial value//]**) **[,**DIM( )**] [,**OVER( )**] [,**NAME( )**] [,**EXTERNAL**] [,**DLL**] ||
|  | [,**STATIC**] [,**THREAD**] [,**AUTO**] [,**PRIVATE**] [,**PROTECTED**] |
|  |  |

{{blk2blue.jpg|blk2blue.jpg}}

| **PDECIMAL** | A packed decimal floating point number. |

**Format:               magnitude                 ±**

**        | ................................... | . |**

**Bits:  127                                    4   0**

**Range: -9,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 to **

**       +9,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 **

| //length// | A required numeric constant containing the total number of decimal digits (integer and fractional portion combined) in the variable. The maximum //length// is 31. |
| //places// | A numeric constant that fixes the number of decimal digits in the fractional portion (to the right of the decimal point) of the variable. It must be less than or equal to the //length// parameter. If omitted, the variable will be declared as a math based integer. As a result, when //places// is omitted or zero, fractional values are rounded up. |
| //initial value// | A numeric constant. If omitted, the initial value is zero, unless the AUTO attribute is present. |
| **DIM** | Dimension the variable as an array. |
| **OVER** | Share a memory location with another variable. |
| **NAME** | Specify an alternate, "external" name for the field. |
| **EXTERNAL** | Specify the variable is defined, and its memory is allocated, in an external library. Not valid within FILE, QUEUE, or GROUP declarations. |
| **DLL** | Specify the variable is defined in a .DLL. This is required in addition to the EXTERNAL attribute. |
| **STATIC** | Specify the variable's memory is permanently allocated. |
| **THREAD** | Specify memory for the variable is allocated once for each execution thread. Also implicitly adds the STATIC attribute on Procedure Local data. |
| **AUTO** | Specify the variable has no //initial value//. |
| **PRIVATE** | Specify the variable is not visible outside the module containing the CLASS methods. Valid only in a CLASS. |
| **PROTECTED** | Specify the variable is not visible outside base CLASS and derived CLASS methods. Valid only in a CLASS. |

**PDECIMAL** declares a variable length packed decimal signed numeric variable in the Btrieve and IBM/EBCDIC type of format. Each byte of an PDECIMAL holds two decimal digits (4 bits per digit). The right-most byte holds the sign in its low-order nibble (0Fh or 0Ch = positive, 0Dh = negative) and one decimal digit. Therefore, PDECIMAL variables always contain a fixed "odd" number of digits (PDECIMAL(10) and PDECIMAL(11) both use 6 bytes).

**Example:**

**Count1 PDECIMAL(5,0)                         !Declare three-byte signed packed decimal**

**Count2 PDECIMAL(5),OVER(Count1)              !Declare OVER the three-byte **

**                                             ! signed packed decimal**

**Count3 PDECIMAL(5,0),DIM(4)                  !Declare it an array of 4 decimals**

**Count4 PDECIMAL(5,0,5)                       !Declare with initial value**

**Count5 PDECIMAL(5,0),EXTERNAL                !Declare as external**

**Count6 PDECIMAL(5,0),EXTERNAL,DLL            !Declare as external in a .DLL**

**Count7 PDECIMAL(5,0),NAME('SixCount')        !Declare with external name**

**ExampleFile FILE,DRIVER('Btrieve')           !Declare a file**

**Record       RECORD**

**Count8        PDECIMAL(5,0),NAME('Counter')  !Declare with external name**

**             END**

**            END**