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**CONTENTS(**//control//**)**

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| **CONTENTS** | Returns the value in the USE variable of a control. |
| //control// | A field number or field equate label. |

The **CONTENTS** procedure returns a string containing the value in the USE variable of an ENTRY, OPTION RADIO, or TEXT control.

A USE variable may be longer than its associated control field display picture OR may contain fewer characters than its total capacity. The CONTENTS procedure always returns the full length of the USE variable.

| **Return Data Type:** | STRING |

**Example:**

**IF ****CONTENTS****(?LastName) = '' AND ****CONTENTS****(?FirstName) = '' !If first and last name blank,**

** MessageField = 'Must Enter a First or Last Name'         ! display error message**

**END**

**See Also:**

[[prop screentext.htm|PROP:ScreenText]]

[[change  change control field value .htm|CHANGE]]