LOC Function
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 Action

 Returns the current position within an open file.


 Syntax



  LOC( filenumber%)


 Remarks


 The argument  filenumber% is the number of an open file or device. With
 random-access files, the  LOC function returns the number of the last record
 read from, or written to, the file. With sequential files,  LOC returns the
 current byte position in the file, divided by 128. With binary mode files,
 LOC returns the position of the last byte read or written.

 For a communications device,  LOC returns the number of characters in the
 input queue waiting to be read. The value returned depends on whether the
 device was opened in ASCII or binary mode. In ASCII mode, the low-level
 routines stop queuing characters as soon as an end-of-file is received. The
 end-of-file itself is not queued and cannot be read. If you attempt to read
 the end-of-file, BASIC generates the error message Input past end of file.
 In binary mode, the end-of-file character is ignored and the entire file can
 be read.

 For a PIPE device,  LOC returns 1 if any data are available in the PIPE
 queue.


 Note

 The  LOC function cannot be used on ISAM tables, or the SCRN, KYBD, or LPT n
 devices.


 See Also

  EOF,  LOF,  OPEN (File I-O)


 Example

 The following example stops the program if the current file position is
 beyond 50. Note that this example is incomplete.

 IF LOC(1) > 50 THEN STOP