Fast Track 2.2

Files

The OPEN #3 example above creates a NEW file with a record length of 58 characters.

Files can be INTERNAL, EXTERNAL, or DISPLAY files. Display files can be read in any standard text editor, while the other two are BR specific formats. They can also not be opened OUTIN, can only be accessed sequentially, and cannot be used with the INDEX command. The main difference between Internal and External files is that Internal files are BR files that have a header line which provides details about the data file, including record length. External files are opened “as is.”

Files can be opened INPUT, OUTPUT, or OUTIN. INPUT will input information from the data file to the program. OUTPUT will output information from the program to the file. OUTIN will allow for both, which makes it useful for editing your data files.

Files can be opened RELATIVE, SEQUENTIAL, or KEYED. Relative access means the record will be identified and read according to its numeric order. Sequential, the default, means that the records will be read one at a time, in order, from start to finish. Keyed means that the record will be according to a specified KEY field.

Error handling will be described later. For now, know that you can include which line the program should jump to when a specified error occurs.