PURPOSE: To shorten a retrieval time by providing a belonging record number for a symbol table entry when a symbol shows the field of a record and the like.

CONSTITUTION: A compiler 2 and an internal data table 3 which the compiler 2 uses and changes are stored in the memory 1 of an electronic computer system. A source program file 5 and an object program file 6 are stored in an auxiliary storage device 4. When the symbol shows the field of the record in a programming language processing system consisting of a hush table and a symbol table, the belonging record number is provided in the symbol table entry. Thus, the number of comparing times of names can be reduced at the time of retrieving the symbol, and retrieval is attained at a high speed.