FIELD

Allocates memory space for variables of a record structure of a random-access file

Implemented by: decbasic, trsdisk, level3, colordisk, GWBASIC, msxdisk, bwbasic, bw32, ABasiC, QBasic, VBDOS, FreeBASIC

With variations:

Also written as:

Microsoft BASICs implement FIELD as a way of mapping fixed-width chunks read from a random-access file into string variables.

Syntax remains similar: the first argument is a file identifier, then a number of characters, the AS keyword and the name of the string variable which will store the data. A comma separates each sequence of "size AS variable":

FIELD #1, 20 AS RN$, 20 AS RS$

In MSX BASIC, FIELD is implemented by the MSX DiskBASIC extension.