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| [label] | **RECORD** [,**PRE( )**] [,**NAME( )**] |
|  | //fields// |
|  | **END** |

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| **RECORD** | Declares the beginning of the data structure within the FILE declaration. |
| //fields// | Multiple variable declarations. |
| **PRE** | Specify a label prefix for the structure. |
| **NAME** | Specifies an external name for the RECORD structure. |

The **RECORD** statement declares the beginning of the data structure within the FILE declaration. A RECORD structure is required in a FILE declaration. Each //field// is an element of the RECORD structure. The length of a RECORD structure is the sum of the length of its fields. When the label of a RECORD structure is used in an assignment statement, expression, or parameter list, it is treated as a GROUP data type.

At run time, static memory is allocated as a data buffer for the RECORD structure. The //fields// in the record buffer are available whether the file is open or closed.

If the //fields// contain variable declarations with initial values, that initial value is only used to determine the size of the variable, the record buffer is not initialized to the value. For example, a STRING('abc') field declaration creates a three-byte string, but it's value is not automatically initialized to 'abc' unless the program's executable code assigns it that value.

Records from the data file on disk are read into the data buffer with the NEXT, PREVIOUS, GET, or REGET statements. Data in the //fields// are processed, then written to the data file as a single RECORD unit by the ADD, APPEND, PUT, or DELETE statements.

The WHAT and WHERE procedures allow access to the //fields// by their relative position within the RECORD structure.

**Example:**

<code>
Names   FILE,DRIVER('Clarion')   !Declare a file structure
Record   RECORD                  ! begin record declaration
Name      STRING(20)             !  declare name field
Number    SHORT                  !  declare number field
        END
       END                      !End file, end record declaration
 
</code>

**See Also:**

[[file  declare a data file structure .htm|FILE]]

[[next  read next record in sequence .htm|NEXT]]

[[previous  read previous view record in sequence .htm|PREVIOUS]]

[[get  read a record or entry .htm|GET]]

[[reget  re get record .htm|REGET]]

[[add  add an entry .htm|ADD]]

[[append  add a new file record .htm|APPEND]]

[[put  re write record .htm|PUT]]

[[delete  delete a record .htm|DELETE]]

[[what  return field from group .htm|WHAT]]

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