Ted

        You don't say what language you are using. I have done this in COBOL
quite easily, the following code fragments will illustrate the method.
INPUT-BYTE is your byte length.

        WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
        01  FULL-WORD        PIC S9(4) BINARY.
            01  FULL-WORD-R REDEFINES FULL-WORD.
             03                        PIC X.
             03  BYTE-VALUE  PIC X.
        .
        .


        PROCEDURE DIVISION.


                MOVE ZERO TO FULL-WORD.
                MOVE INPUT-BYTE TO BYTE-VALUE.

        At this point the value of FULL-WORD should be your integer length.

Bob Schlosser
Melbourne, Florida
(407) 727-6893

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Ted Johnson [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Sent:   Tuesday, June 22, 1999 1:22 PM
        To:     [log in to unmask]
        Subject:        1 byte binary field

        Has anyone ever tried to read a "1 byte binary field" with the HP?

        A file uses a 1 byte binary field before arrays to indicate the size
        of the array.

        We haven't had any success yet in reading this binary field.

        TIA,

        Ted
        --
        *************************************************
        Ted Johnson                     [log in to unmask]
        Information Systems
        Wake Forest University          336-758-4374
        Winston-Salem, NC 27109         336-758-7127 FAX

        "If I don't give advice, I can't be blamed for giving
        bad advice if it goes wrong.  I won't get credit for
        good advice either, but that's easier to live with."
                                        -- Abe Lieberman