VMS Help PASCAL, Input Output, Seq Access Input, GET  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

  The GET procedure advances the file position and reads the  next
  component  of  the  file  into the file buffer variable.  If the
  file has relative or indexed organization, the component is also
  locked to prevent access by other processes.

  Syntax:

     GET( file_variable [[,ERROR := error-recovery]] );

  The 'file_variable' is the name associated with the input file.

  The 'error-recovery' specifies the action  to  be  taken  if  an
  error occurs during execution of the routine.  By default, after
  the first error, the error message is printed and  execution  is
  stopped.

  Before the GET procedure is used for the first time to read  one
  or more file components, the file must be in inspection mode and
  prepared for reading input.   Depending  on  the  access  method
  specified when the file was opened, you can prepare the file for
  input in the following ways:

   o  If the file is open for sequential access,  call  the  RESET
      procedure.   RESET sets the mode to inspection, advances the
      file position  to  the  first  component,  and  assigns  the
      component's value to the file buffer variable.

   o  If the file is open for direct access, call either the RESET
      or the FIND procedure to position the file.

   o  If the file is open for keyed access, call the FINDK, RESET,
      or RESETK procedure to position the file.

  As a result of the GET procedure, the file remains in inspection
  mode,  and the file position advances to the next component.  If
  a component is found other  than  the  end-of-file  marker,  the
  component  is  locked,  EOF  is  set  to  FALSE, the file buffer
  variable takes on the value of the component, and UFB is set  to
  FALSE.   If  a  component is not found or the end of the file is
  reached, EOF and UFB are set to  TRUE.   If  the  GET  procedure
  fails, UFB is set to TRUE and EOF becomes undefined.

  See the  "Compaq  Pascal  Language  Reference  Manual"  for  the
  complete description of the GET procedure.