> i've got a simple little text file with two pieces of
> information on each record.  the first 'word' (piece of
> information) could be considered as a key value.  that is --
> another process will be examining this file looking for a
> match on the first field.  (and btw, since i know the
> data....most of the time the match will fail....).  if a
> match is found, i need the 2nd 'word' (piece of information)
> placed into a ci variable.

Here's a rough sketch that has *not* been tested at all:

PARM file, key, rtnvar=info, entry=main
# Search "file" for "key" and return info in "rntvar".
# File format is:
#   key1 info1
#   key2 info2
#   ...
#
if '!entry' = 'main' then
   setvar !rtnvar ""
   # verify "file" exists, etc... then
   xeq !hpfile !file, !key, !rtnvar entry=read <!file
   # cleanup etc...
   return

elseif '!entry' = 'read' then
   # input redirected to the "file" parm
   setvar cnt finfo(hpstdin,'eof')
   while setvar(cnt,cnt-1) >= 0 and &
         word(setvar(rec,input())) <> "!key" do
      # assumes a string key and case sensitive...
   endwhile
   if cnt >= 0 then
      # match
      setvar !rntvar word(rec,,2)
   endif
   return
endif

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