Editing Field (computer science) (section)

{{Short description|Variable in a record}}
In [[data hierarchy]], a '''field''' ('''data field''') is a [[Variable (computer science)|variable]] in a [[record (computer science)|record]].<ref name="pascal_p42_quoted">{{cite book
  | last1 = Jensen
  | first1 = Kathleen
  | last2 = Wirth
  | first2 = Niklaus
  | title = PASCAL User Manual and Report
  | publisher = Springer-Verlag
  | year = 1974
  | page = 42
  | quote = [A] record is a structure consisting of a fixed number of components, called fields.
  | isbn = 0-387-90144-2
}}</ref> A record, also known as a [[data structure]], allows logically related data to be identified by a single name. Identifying related data as a single group is central to the construction of understandable [[computer program]]s.<ref name="cpl_p169_quote1">{{cite book
  | last1 = Wilson
  | first1 = Leslie B.
  | last2 = Clark
  | first2 = Robert G.
  | title = Comparative Programming Languages, Third Edition
  | publisher = Addison-Wesley
  | year = 2001
  | page = 169
  | quote = Being able to structure data in this way is central to the construction of understandable programs.
  | isbn = 0-201-71012-9
}}</ref> The individual fields in a record may be accessed by name, just like any variable in a computer program.<ref name="cpl_p169">{{cite book
  | last1 = Wilson
  | first1 = Leslie B.
  | last2 = Clark
  | first2 = Robert G.
  | title = Comparative Programming Languages, Third Edition
  | publisher = Addison-Wesley
  | year = 2001
  | page = 169
  | isbn = 0-201-71012-9
}}</ref>

Each field in a record has two components. One component is the field's [[data type|datatype]] [[Declaration (computer programming)|declaration]]. The other component is the field's [[identifier]].<ref name="pascal_p42">{{cite book
  | last1 = Jensen
  | first1 = Kathleen
  | last2 = Wirth
  | first2 = Niklaus
  | title = PASCAL User Manual and Report
  | publisher = Springer-Verlag
  | year = 1974
  | page = 42
  | isbn = 0-387-90144-2
}}</ref>