Multiple choice technology mainframe

An easytrieve file is defined as given. NAME * 10 A What does '*' indicates here?

  1. It does not indicates anything , it is a syntax error.

  2. It indicates that the field will begin in next position.

  3. It indicates that no data record is present before 'NAME'.

  4. It indicates no data record exists after 'NAME'.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In Easytrieve file definitions, an asterisk (*) in the starting position column indicates that the field will begin at the next position relative to the previous field. It's a relative positioning specification. This allows fields to be positioned consecutively without calculating absolute column numbers manually.

AI explanation

In Easytrieve field definitions, an asterisk (*) used in the position slot tells the compiler to auto-assign the starting position of this field immediately after the previous field ends, rather than specifying an explicit column number. It's a placeholder for 'next available position,' not an error and not a statement about missing data records.