On Mon, 7 Jul 1997 11:32:43 -0400, [log in to unmask] asked:
|1.  What is the difference between an 'I' field and a 'J' field?

Image field types "I" and "J" are both binary integers.  [Turbo]Image[/SQL]
does not distinguish between them (with the possible exception for
item-level lock descriptors which I have seen become picky).  QUERY,
however, *does* distinguish between I and J field types.  I types are
allowed to contain any value which can be stored in the field.  In other
words, an signed 16-bit I1 field can hold any value from -32768..32767.
Type J fields, however, are recognized by QUERY as "S9(4) COMP" fields in
COBOL terms and therefore will restrict the fields to values in the range
-9999..9999.  Personally, I would almost never use a J field type, even if
developing exclusively in COBOL, unless I expected a significant degree of
editing of the field to be done via QUERY.

|2.  Does HP's C compiler have a "Long Int" type and can it access a I4 or J4
|field?

Unfortunately (VERY unfortunately, IMO), HP's C/iX does not at present
support a 64 bit integer type.  "long int" is allowed but is implemented
as an "int".  (Did I mention how unfortunate this state of affairs is?)
--
Jeff Woods
[log in to unmask] at Unison Software
[log in to unmask]   at home  [PGP key available here via finger]

"Politics is not a bad profession.  If you succeed there are many rewards;
 if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."  --  Ronald Reagan