Q62771: Record Number for PUT/GET Statement Can Be a Long Integer

Article: Q62771
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 7.00 7.10
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S900319-92 docerr | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 8-JAN-1991

Pages 147 and 280 in the "Microsoft BASIC 7.0: Language Reference"
and Page 110 in the "Microsoft BASIC 7.0: Programmer's Guide"
incorrectly state that when specifying the record number in a GET/PUT
statement for a random file or the position number for a binary file,
the record or position number should be an integer.

The explanation for the GET/PUT statement should describe the record
or position number as being either an integer or a long integer.

This information applies to Microsoft BASIC Professional Development
System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 for MS-DOS.

The correct syntax for the GET/PUT statement is as follows:

  {GET|PUT} [#]filenumber% [, [recordnumber&] ] [, [variable] ]

When accessing a random file, "recordnumber&" represents the number of
the record to be read or written. When accessing a binary file,
"recordnumber&" represents the byte position of where the reading or
writing starts.

The online Help for BASIC PDS 7.00 and 7.10 correctly describes the
record number as "recordnumber&". The following documentation,
however, incorrectly describes the record number as "recordnumber%":

1. Page 110 of the "Microsoft BASIC 7.0: Programmer's Guide" for
   7.00 and 7.10

2. Pages 147 and 280 of the "Microsoft BASIC 7.O: Language Reference"
   manual for 7.00 and 7.10

By specifying the recordnumber variable as "recordnumber&" instead of
"recordnumber%", it is inferred that the record number variable may
either be of type INTEGER or LONG INTEGER.

Using recordnumber% would suggest that the largest possible record
number to be 32,767. Since the largest possible record number is
2,147,483,647, the record number should be described as recordnumber&.

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