# Arrays in INDEPENDENT variables **URL:** \ **Category:** Forum\ **Tags:** Adabas-Natural, Adabas, Natural\ **Created:** [October 19, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766 "2020-10-19T15:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ricardo_gomez1/32/7963_2.png) [@Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ricardo_Gomez1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/1 "2020-10-19T15:56:58Z")
Hello, how can I use arrays in INDEPENDENT variables. 01 +W-CAMPOARR (A40/1:4) … WRITE &W-CAMPOARR(1) Index entry incorrectly specified for field. Thank you, Greetings ---
**Author:** ![Ralph\_Zbrog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ralph_zbrog/32/78_2.png) [@Ralph\_Zbrog](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ralph_Zbrog)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/2 "2020-10-19T17:03:37Z")
The ampersand (&) is used only to designate dynamic text. Normally you would code ```auto DEFINE DATA INDEPENDENT 1 +W-CAMPOARR (A40/1:4) END-DEFINE WRITE '=' +W-CAMPOARR (1) END ``` ---
**Author:** ![Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ricardo_gomez1/32/7963_2.png) [@Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ricardo_Gomez1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/3 "2020-10-19T17:20:40Z")
> [@Ricardo\_Gomez1](#): > > WRIT thanks. but I need to use the value & and not the + NAT0280 Index entry incorrectly specified for field. WRITE &W-CAMPOARR (1) currently: 01 +W-CAMPO1 (A40) 01 +W-CAMPO2 (A40) 01 +W-CAMPO3 (A40) 01 +W-CAMPO4 (A40) but i require: 01 +W-CAMPOARR (A40/1:4) actually works with WRITE & W-CAMPOARR but I only get the first position of the array Greetings ---
**Author:** ![Jerome\_LeBlanc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/jerome_leblanc/32/111_2.png) [@Jerome\_LeBlanc](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Jerome_LeBlanc)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/4 "2020-10-19T18:42:34Z")
Ralph is (of course) correct. You do not want & in your case. &W-CAMPOARR is not a valid variable. ```auto DEFINE DATA INDEPENDENT 1 +W-CAMPOARR (A4/1:4) INIT <'a','b','c','d'> END-DEFINE WRITE '=' +W-CAMPOARR (*) WRITE '=' +W-CAMPOARR (1) WRITE '=' +W-CAMPOARR (2) WRITE '=' +W-CAMPOARR (3) WRITE '=' +W-CAMPOARR (4) END ``` Output: ```auto +W-CAMPOARR: a b c d +W-CAMPOARR: a +W-CAMPOARR: b +W-CAMPOARR: c +W-CAMPOARR: d ``` However, independent variables are tricky. If you have already defined them in your session, you cannot change them until you restart your session or using the RELEASE VARIABLES statement. ---
**Author:** ![Ralph\_Zbrog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ralph_zbrog/32/78_2.png) [@Ralph\_Zbrog](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ralph_Zbrog)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/5 "2020-10-19T20:33:14Z")
OP said > but I need to use the value & and not the + If this is indeed true, then I would quote the Statements manual, Run statement, Dynamic Source: > A global variable with index must not be used within a program that is invoked via a `RUN` statement. You are not allowed to change the +W-CAMPOx scalars to an array. ---
**Author:** ![Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ricardo_gomez1/32/7963_2.png) [@Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ricardo_Gomez1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/6 "2020-10-19T21:46:17Z")
> [@Ralph\_Zbrog](#): > > A global variable with index must not be used within a program that is invoked via a `RUN` statement. Thanks, Greetings ---
**Author:** ![Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/user_avatar/techcommunity.softwareag.com/ricardo_gomez1/32/7963_2.png) [@Ricardo\_Gomez1](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/Ricardo_Gomez1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/7 "2020-10-19T21:46:32Z")
thanks, Greetings ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/techcommunity/original/3X/c/d/cd19967bb605d28a72d77eb83a1cae22f3df2eb8.svg) [@system](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://techcommunity.softwareag.com/t/arrays-in-independent-variables/234766/8 "2021-04-02T15:45:17Z")