variable

Type

Concept

Purpose

A variable is a substitute for another value.

In a script, a variable can be substituted for any expression that returns a value or for any type of field except a Choice field. Often a variable is used to store a numeric value that can change during the processing of a procedure (like a running total when adding a column of figures). The stored value can be used like any other value in the script; it is referenced by the variable's name.

Usage

The name of a variable can be any unique name, up to 20 characters in length. The name must be enclosed in quotes when it first appears, and be preceded by either the global or temp keyword.

The status of a variable is either current, global, or temporary.

The current variables are system-defined variables that hold commonly used system values such as current date, current time, current user name, etc. Because these variables are system-generated, you don't need to define them in a script prior to using them.

A global variable can pass its value from one procedure to another. In order to do this, the variable must be defined identically in each procedure in which it is used.

A temporary variable can store a value only during a single procedure.

There is a separate entry in this Language Reference for each of these groups.

Note: Because the value in a variable is typically accumulated as each record is processed, you cannot successfully sort (e.g., using in order or in groups) the value stored in the variable.