When the user exits from the form (as opposed to quits), the contents of the field are converted to a variable of the appropriate type. The variable is copied to the data variable associated with the field. The system calls the string-to-data conversion function that is appropriate for the defined field type. The system string-to-data conversion functions are all named with the prefix "dc_to" and are listed in Table 9.1. If you would like details on how the system is performing data conversion for a particular field type, see the description of the appropriate data conversion function in the Function Reference. Note that the conversion function expects the data variable pointed to for the field to be the proper type; if it is not, errors result.
For string variables (string, date, and time fields), the default is to copy the protected characters in the picture to the data variable (this is a field option that you can change).
You can control data conversion by setting a number of data field options.
Fields that have no underlying data variable are processed differently. See Chapter 7, "Standard Data Field Types."
Table 9.1: Data Field Processing Functions
| Field Type | Data-to-String Conversion Function | Validation Function | String-to Data Conversion Function |
| F_BOOL | dc_frbool() | vf_bool() | dc_tobool() |
| F_CHAR | dc_frch() | vf_ch() | dc_toch() |
| F_CHECK | dc_frcheck() | None | dc_tocheck() |
| F_DATE | dc_frdate() | vf_date() | dc_todate() |
| F_DECIMAL | dc_frdec() | vf_dec() | dc_todec() |
| F_DOUBLE | dc_frdouble() | vf_double() | dc_todouble() |
| F_F_INT | dc_frint() | vf_int() | dc_toint() |
| F_LONG | dc_frlong() | vf_long() | dc_tolong() |
| F_RADIO | dc_frradio() | None | dc_toradio() |
| F_SHORT | dc_frshort() | vf_short() | dc_toshort() |
| F_SINGLE | dc_frsingle() | vf_double() | dc_frsingle() |
| F_STRING | dc_frst() | vf_st() | dc_tost() |
| F_TIME | dc_frtime() | vf_time() | dc_totime() |
