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So, I have got a job where fully free format RPG is used (even the D-Specs are in free).

I am confused about the use of "*N" in various declarations. Like in data structures, procedure prototypes etc.

My general understanding is that it is used as some sort of a placeholder when declarations without a name is defined.

Can someone help in understanding this?

Theju112
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2 Answers2

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That's exactly right. *N indicates "no name". In free-form, you can't just omit the name completely the way you can in fixed-form, so *N is used as a place-holder. You use this for subfields, prototype-parameters, procedure interfaces, and unqualified data structures.

Barbara Morris
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check out this recent question

RPG allows you overlay an array over the same memory location of other subfields in the same data struct. You declare nameless subfields in a data struct and give them initialize values. Then overlay the array over those sub fields, making those sub fields items in the array.

RockBoro
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