Natural Internal Field number

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1

Can I refer to a mapped field by its internal number. I know POS contains a number representing a field in which to put the cursor on.

Can I use this number to set the attributes? If so HOW?
I tried.

#fieldx := #mark
#fieldx-attr := (AD-I)

Of course it did not like fieldx-attr .

Any help would be appreciated

If I don’t do this, then I have to go through a series if decides, and the Mark is set in copy code used by various programs.

2

This can be done, but most developers would consider the code “too tricky” for production applications.

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
1 #A (A10)
1 #B (A10)
1 #C (A10)
1 #D (A10)
1 #MARK (I4)       1 REDEFINE #MARK
  2 #MARK-B (B4)
1 #ATTRIB (4)           /* Enough entries to hold all fields
  2 #POS (I4)           /* Unique internal identifier
                   2 REDEFINE #POS
    3 #POS-B (B4)
  2 #CV (C)             /* Dynamic attributes
1 #MSG (A25)
1 #I (I4)
END-DEFINE
*
#POS (1) := POS (#A)    /* Identify each field
#POS (2) := POS (#B)
#POS (3) := POS (#C)
#POS (4) := POS (#D)
*
REPEAT
  INPUT (AD=MDLT) WITH TEXT #MSG 
                       MARK #MARK
        #A (CV=#CV(1))            /* Dynamic attributes via CV
     // #B (CV=#CV(2))
     // #C (CV=#CV(3))
     // #D (CV=#CV(4))
  RESET #CV (*)
  DECIDE FOR FIRST CONDITION      /* Determine which field
    WHEN #A <> ' '
         #MARK := POS (#A)
    WHEN #B <> ' '
         #MARK := POS (#B)
    WHEN #C <> ' '
         #MARK := POS (#C)
    WHEN #D <> ' '
         #MARK := POS (#D)
    WHEN NONE
         IGNORE
  END-DECIDE
  /*
  EXAMINE #POS-B (*) FOR #MARK-B GIVING INDEX #I /* Determine which CV
  #CV (#I) := (AD=D CD=RE)                       /* Sample attributes
  COMPRESS NUMERIC 'First entry:'
                   #I
              INTO #MSG
END-REPEAT
END