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**WHAT(**// group, number //[//,dimension//]// //**)**

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| **WHAT** | Returns a specified field from a //group// structure. |
| //group// | The label of a GROUP, RECORD, CLASS, or QUEUE declaration. |
| //number// | An integer expression specifying the ordinal position of a field in the //group//. |
| //dimension// | An optional dimension element number, if applicable. |

The **WHAT** statement returns the //number// specified field from a //group// structure. Generally, this would be assigned to an ANY variable. If the number specified field is a dimensioned field, then WHAT returns a reference to the //dimension// element of the //number// field.

If the field with an ordinal position equal to the passed second parameter is defined as an ANY type or has the DIM attribute, the returned value can only be used in "reference equality" ( &= ) operations. Any attempt to access the field will cause a run-time error.

**Return Data Type:     **ANY

**Example:**

<code>
MyGroup  GROUP
F1        LONG(3)             !Field number 1
F2        SHORT               !Field number 2
F3        STRING(30)          !Field number 3
InGroup    GROUP              !Field number 4
F1          LONG              !Field number 5
F2          SHORT(2)          !Field number 6
F3          STRING(30),DIM(2) !Field number 7
F4          LONG,DIM(3,3)     !Field number 8
F5          ANY
          END
         END
 
CurrentField ANY
 
CODE
CurrentField &= WHAT(MyGroup,1)   !Returns contents of MyGroup.F1 (3)
CurrentField &= WHAT(MyGroup,6)   !Returns contents of MyGroup.Ingroup.F2 (2)
CurrentField &= WHAT(MyGroup,7)   !Returns contents of MyGroup.Ingroup.F3[1]
 IF CurrentField &= RefVar        !LEGAL
  CurrentField = 2                !INVALID – posts a runtime error
 END
CurrentField &= WHAT(MyGroup,8,3) !Returns contents of MyGroup.Ingroup.F4[1,3]
CurrentField &= WHAT(MyGroup,8,5) !Returns contents of MyGroup.Ingroup.F4[2,2]
 
!For String Comparison, the returned field must be moved into a work field: 
CurrentField &= WHAT(MyGroup,8,7) !Returns contents of MyGroup.Ingroup.F4[3,1]
IF CurrentField = 'xyz'
 !do something
END
</code>

**See Also:**

[[any  any simple data type .htm|ANY]]

[[where  return field position in group .htm|WHERE]]

[[who  return field name from group .htm|WHO]]

[[getgroup return reference to group .htm|GETGROUP]]

[[group  compound data structure .htm|GROUP]]

[[howmany return dimensions .htm|HOWMANY]]

[[isstring  return field string type or not .htm|ISSTRING]]

[[isgroup return group type or not .htm|ISGROUP]]

[[record  declare record structure .htm|RECORD]]

[[class  object declaration .htm|CLASS]]

[[queue  declare a memory queue structure .htm|QUEUE]]