Transferring Data to BASIC Random Files

When you create a BASIC random file, system data changes as follows:

Hexadecimal fields do not change.
Change from a system binary field depends on the field length:
- Fields of 2 bytes, with no decimal positions to the right of the decimal point, change to 2-byte BASIC integer values. The only change is that the order of the bytes reverses.
- Fields of 2 bytes, with decimal positions to the right of the decimal point, change to BASIC single-precision numbers.
- Fields of 4 bytes change to BASIC double-precision numbers.
EBCDIC character, date, time, and time-stamp fields change byte by byte and are mapped into ASCII characters as defined by the translation tables.
Variable-length and null fields are converted to fixed lengths, and trailing blanks (for character, hexadecimal, date, time, and time-stamp data) or zeros (for binary, zoned, and packed data) are added to the maximum length of the field.
Zoned decimal fields change into one of the following BASIC variables depending on the field length and the number of decimal positions:
- Zoned decimal fields of 4 bytes or less with no positions to the right of the decimal point change to a BASIC integer of an equivalent value.
  A zoned decimal field of 4 bytes or less, but with a decimal point, falls into the following category.
- Zoned decimal fields up to 7 bytes (including those that did not fall into the previous category) change to a BASIC single-precision number of an equivalent value.
- Zoned decimal fields greater than 7 bytes change to a BASIC double-precision number of an equivalent value.
Packed decimal fields change into one of the following BASIC variables depending on the length of the field:
- Packed decimal fields of 2 bytes or less with no positions to the right of the decimal point change to a BASIC integer of an equivalent value.
  A packed decimal field of 2 bytes or less, but with a decimal point, falls into the following category (up to 4 bytes).
- Packed decimal fields of up to 4 bytes (including those that did not fall into the previous category) change to a BASIC single-precision number of an equivalent value.
- Packed decimal fields greater than 4 bytes change to a BASIC double-precision number of an equivalent value.
Note: Changes between binary, packed decimal, and zoned decimal numbers with decimal points are not equivalent to their BASIC number counterparts, because BASIC uses a binary number format that does not always change into exact decimal fractions.