Specify R in this position to use the reference function of the program to copy the attributes of a previously defined named field (called the referenced field) to the field you are defining.
The referenced field can be previously defined in the ICF file you are defining. The referenced field can also be defined in a previously created database file (the database file to be referenced is specified with the REF or REFFLD keyword). The field attributes referenced are the length, data type, and decimal positions of the field, as well as the ALIAS, FLTPCN, and TEXT keywords.
If you do not specify R, you cannot use the reference function for this field and you must specify field attributes for this field.
Position 29 must be blank at the file and record levels.
The name of the referenced field can be either the same as the field you are defining or different from the field you are defining. If the name of the referenced field is the same as the field you are defining, you need only specify the letter R in position 29 (in addition to specifying the name of the field you are defining in positions 19 through 28). If the name of the field you are defining is different, you must specify the name of the referenced field with the REFFLD (Referenced Field) keyword.
You can specify the name of the file defining the referenced field as a parameter value with the REF or REFFLD keyword.
You do not need to copy all attributes from the previously described field to the field you are defining. To override specific attributes of the referenced field, specify those attributes for the field you are defining. For example, if you specify a length for the field you are defining, the length is not copied from the referenced field.
When you override the data type to character (by specifying A in position 35), the decimal positions value is not copied from the referenced field.