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| label **BFLOAT8(**[//initial value//]**) **[,**DIM( )**] [,**OVER( )**] [,**NAME( )**] [,**EXTERNAL**] [,**DLL**] [,**STATIC**] ||
|  | [,**THREAD**] [,**AUTO**] [,**PRIVATE**] [,**PROTECTED**] |

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| **BFLOAT8** | An eight-byte floating point number. |

**Format:     exponent    ±    significand**

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

**Bits:  63            55   54                      0**

**Range: 0, ± 5.877471754e-39 .. ± 1.7014118346e+38 (15 significant digits)**

| //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. |

**BFLOAT8** declares an eight-byte floating point signed numeric variable, using the Microsoft BASIC (double precision) format. This data type is normally used for compatibility with existing data since it is internally converted to a REAL before all arithmetic operations.

**Example:**

**Count1 BFLOAT8                         !Declare eight-byte signed floating point**

**Count2 BFLOAT8,OVER(Count1)            !Declare OVER **

**Count3 BFLOAT8,DIM(4)                  !Declare it an array of 4 reals**

**Count4 BFLOAT8(5)                      !Declare with initial value**

**Count5 BFLOAT8,EXTERNAL                !Declare as external**

**Count6 BFLOAT8,EXTERNAL,DLL            !Declare as external in a .DLL**

**Count7 BFLOAT8,NAME('SixCount')        !Declare with external name**

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

**Record       RECORD**

**Count8        BFLOAT8,NAME('Counter')  !Declare with external name **

**             END**

**            END**