Populating Record Retrieval Variables

Before you can find or modify records, you must populate record retrieval variables with key field values from working storage, form fields, or record values. This task is sometimes called initializing the values in the DB fields because the record retrieval variables each have the name DB-<FieldName> .

The reason for moving the key field values is so that values are passed properly. The index you specify in the call determines the key fields you must use to access a record. The record or range of records you must access also determines the key fields you must use.

The Build Shell (bldsh) utility generates a working storage definition for all required record retrieval variables. The database files and input/output routines used determine which variables are required, and only those variables are generated.