The 'record_type'  is  a  value  that  indicates  the  component
  format.    ("Record"   format   and   "component"   format   are
  equivalent.)  The  available  values  are  FIXED   (fixed-length
  components),   VARIABLE   (variable-length  components),  STREAM
  (stream  component   format   with   either   carriage   return,
  combination   carriage  return  and  line  feed,  or  form  feed
  delimiters), STREAM_CR (stream component  format  with  carriage
  return  delimiters), and STREAM_LF (stream component format with
  line feed delimiters).

  VARIABLE is the default for new TEXT and VARYING OF CHAR,  while
  FIXED is the default for other new files.