Processing for Each Field

For each field:

• The formula for the field is evaluated if appropriate. Formulas are evaluated if Apply always is specified, or if clearfirst and range indicate it should be (see below)
  
• If the field is to be input, input is solicited repeatedly until the validation conditions are satisfied, unless a field to return to on validation failure was specified, or until the user presses a cursor key to select another field. Before each input the appropriate input device mask is selected
  
• If the field is not an input field (or is normally input but input did not take place because the condition to input was not satisfied) then the field is displayed or printed as appropriate. Note that validation conditions on fields are not tested if the condition to input/display was not satisfied
  
• Any possible database accesses are performed, as described under Database Accesses
  
• If an access fails, execution passes to another field as described earlier
  
• If the procedure is interactive, the field number is set to the number indicated by the terminal manager. When the terminal manager sets the field number to zero, however, the Program Interpreter will process any remaining fields which are outside the input matrix
  

The field is totalled, if specified, as described under Execution_of_Totalling .

Field processing is further controlled through two variables: clearfirst and range.

range is the number of the first field not yet input. clearfirst is TRUE when a new record is being processed in non database procedures and before the main table is accessed in database procedures. Fields are only given their default values before data entry routines. Non-Apply always formulas are only evaluated when clearfirst is TRUE and range is less than or equal to the current field number.

Initial Value

The initial value of any field is the value it had when the record was fetched from the database or zero if the record is new to the database. For non database fields, the initial value is zero for new records or the same as the final value otherwise.