RevMedia

This variable is automatically incremented by the READNEXT processor. Note however that no check is made for the status of @RN.COUNTER at the start of the READNEXT so it is the responsibility of the programmer to ensure that @RN.COUNTER is initialised to 0 before entering the loop.

Note also that none of the special READNEXT modes implemented in 1.1 treat @RN.COUNTER differently. That is to say, non-terminating READNEXT commands will continue to increment when the first id in the list is reached again. Further if the direction of READNEXT is changed, @RN.COUNTER is not decremented.

@RN.COUNTER merely records how many READNEXTs have been performed. As the REDUCE subroutine only returns ids to a READNEXT that match the specified criteria, it is worth remembering that in the case of a non-resolved select list @RN.COUNTER may not be equal to the amount of records read from disk.

1.1 documentation records that STATUS() may be used to check whether a non- terminating READNEXT has returned to the beginning of the select list. Whilst this was not true in version 1.1x it is true in version 2.0. When the READNEXT begins, STATUS() is set to 0. The value of STATUS() changes to 1 when the first id in the select list is reached again - that is, when the non-terminating select list has been completely traversed for the first time. Note that it then remains with a value of 1 until reset by the user. Can be amended.

(Volume 2, Issue 5, Page 11) and continued on