STATUS

 The STATUS function indicates the status of a file following the
 last operation performed on it.

 Syntax:

    STATUS( file_variable )

 The 'file_variable' is the name of the file variable  associated
 with the file to be tested.

 The file can be in any mode before STATUS is called;  unless  an
 error  occurs,  STATUS  does  not  change  the  file  mode  upon
 execution.

 The  STATUS  function  returns  integer  codes  indicating   the
 previous  operation's  effect  on the file.  If the operation is
 successful, 0 is returned.  If end-of-file is encountered, -1 is
 returned.   If  an  error  is encountered, a positive integer is
 returned.  (The actual  number  is  environmental  specific  and
 indicates the exact error that occured.)

 A test by the STATUS function on  a  TEXT  file  causes  delayed
 device  access  to  occur, thus filling the file buffer with the
 next file component.  Therefore,  EOF,  EOLN,  UFB,  and  STATUS
 never  return  an  error  code  following  a  successful  STATUS
 function call.

 See the "HP Pascal Language Reference  Manual"  for  a  complete
 description of the STATUS function.