The READ statement is used to read input from an external file or from standard input (keyboard) and assign it to specified variables and data-items.
wherefile_variable,
if present, is the name of the external file; if absent, input is read from the keyboard tox1.
The information read is assigned to SCP variables of all types (except file) and primitive data-items.
Note: The file from which the read is performed must be opened before this statement is used. When multiple variables are read from the keyboard or a file, the values must be separated by a return.