function parse_fixed_length_records
{
# set -x
# Zero out the $OUTFILE

>$OUTFILE

# Associate standard output with file descriptor 4
# and redirect standard output to $OUTFILE

exec 4<&1
exec 1> $OUTFILE

while read RECORD
do
    # On each loop iteration extract the data fields
    # from the record as we process the record file
    # line by line
    BRANCH=$(echo "$RECORD" | cut -c1-6)
    ACCOUNT=$(echo "$RECORD" | cut -c7-25)
    NAME=$(echo "$RECORD" | cut -c26-45)
    TOTAL=$(echo "$RECORD" | cut -c46-70)
    DUEDATE=$(echo "$RECORD" | cut -c71-78)
    RECFILE=$(echo "$RECORD" | cut -c79-)

    # Perform some action on the data

    process_fixedlength_data_new_duedate $BRANCH $ACCOUNT $NAME \
           $TOTAL $DUEDATE $RECFILE $NEW_DATEDUE
    if (( $? != 0 ))
      then
          # Note that $LOGFILE is a global variable
          echo "Record Error: $RECORD" | tee -a $LOGFILE
    fi
done < $MERGERECORDFILE

# Restore standard output and close file
# descriptor 4

exec 1<&4
exec 4>&-
}