Variables are "dereferenced", that is, converted
from their formal name to the value they
contain by including the variable name in the
text of your document surrounded by &
characters (this special character may be
redefined using the .DV command)
For example: &VAR1& would print the contents
of the variable VAR1.
PAGE supports a number of predefined
variables (see Variables pulldown),
dynamically updated variables (see MOREDATA),
and function variables (see @FILELINE,
@DATALINE). These are used just like other
variables.
Predefined variables are just like any other
variables, except that they are initialized
by PAGE when it starts running. You may use
predefined variables as your own variables,
but you will (obviously) lose whatever
information they contained once you start
assigning values to them.
A special character # may be used to produce
an ASCII character by number. For example:
will produce the character: special function @ may be used like a
variable to cause text to the right of it to
"anchor" to a specific column in the output.
For example, &@& by itself will anchor the
remainder of the line to the column in which
the first & is in. This is useful when you
are trying to hit boxes on a preprinted form
and the line includes variables. This is
because as the variables are dynamically
dereferenced the lengths of the variable
contents change where the remainder of the
line is printed. An anchor forces the
remainder of the line to begin in a
predefined column. The @ may also be
followed by a number, which refers to a
column number. Example: &@21& causes the
remainer of the line to print starting in
column 21
Incode Systems, Inc.