diff --git a/hpcgap/lib/read1.g b/hpcgap/lib/read1.g
index 077eac1153..cdb34878f1 100644
--- a/hpcgap/lib/read1.g
+++ b/hpcgap/lib/read1.g
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ ReadLib( "string.g"    );
 ReadLib( "cyclotom.g"  );
 ReadLib( "set.gd"      );
 
-ReadLib( "record.g"    );
+ReadLib( "record.gd"   );
 
 ReadLib( "coll.gi"     );
 ReadLib( "queue.g"     );
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ ReadLib( "info.gd"     );
 ReadLib( "assert.gd"   );
 ReadLib( "files.gd"    );
 ReadLib( "streams.gd"  );
+ReadLib( "show.gd"     );
+
+ReadLib( "record.gi"   );
 
 ReadLib( "matobj1.gd"   );
 ReadLib( "vecmat.gd"   );
diff --git a/lib/read1.g b/lib/read1.g
index c1d93410be..191e056687 100644
--- a/lib/read1.g
+++ b/lib/read1.g
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ ReadLib( "string.g"    );
 ReadLib( "cyclotom.g"  );
 ReadLib( "set.gd"      );
 
-ReadLib( "record.g"    );
+ReadLib( "record.gd"   );
 
 ReadLib( "coll.gi"     );
 ReadLib( "queue.g"     );
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ ReadLib( "files.gd"    );
 ReadLib( "streams.gd"  );
 ReadLib( "show.gd"     );
 
+ReadLib( "record.gi"   );
+
 ReadLib( "matobj1.gd"   );
 ReadLib( "vecmat.gd"   );
 ReadLib( "vec8bit.gd"   );
diff --git a/lib/record.g b/lib/record.g
deleted file mode 100644
index 99dd90d9e0..0000000000
--- a/lib/record.g
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,450 +0,0 @@
-#############################################################################
-##
-#W  record.g                    GAP library                     Thomas Breuer
-#W                                                             & Frank Celler
-##
-##
-#Y  Copyright (C)  1997,  Lehrstuhl D für Mathematik,  RWTH Aachen,  Germany
-#Y  (C) 1998 School Math and Comp. Sci., University of St Andrews, Scotland
-#Y  Copyright (C) 2002 The GAP Group
-##
-##  This file contains methods for records.
-##  Compared to ⪆ 3, where records were used to represent domains and
-##  all kinds of external arithmetic objects, in ⪆ 4 there is no
-##  important role for records.
-##  So the standard library provides only methods for `PrintObj', `String',
-##  `=', and `<', and the latter two are not installed to compare records
-##  with objects in other families.
-##
-##  In order to achieve a special behaviour of records as in &GAP; 3 such
-##  that a record can be regarded as equal to objects in other families
-##  or such that a record can be compared via `<' with objects in other
-##  families, one can load the file `compat3c.g'.
-##
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#C  IsRecord( <obj> )
-#C  IsRecordCollection( <obj> )
-#C  IsRecordCollColl( <obj> )
-##
-##  <#GAPDoc Label="IsRecord">
-##  <ManSection>
-##  <Filt Name="IsRecord" Arg='obj' Type='Category'/>
-##  <Filt Name="IsRecordCollection" Arg='obj' Type='Category'/>
-##  <Filt Name="IsRecordCollColl" Arg='obj' Type='Category'/>
-##
-##  <Description>
-##  <Index Subkey="for records">test</Index>
-##  <Example><![CDATA[
-##  gap> IsRecord( rec( a := 1, b := 2 ) );
-##  true
-##  gap> IsRecord( IsRecord );
-##  false
-##  ]]></Example>
-##  </Description>
-##  </ManSection>
-##  <#/GAPDoc>
-##
-DeclareCategoryKernel( "IsRecord", IsObject, IS_REC );
-DeclareCategoryCollections( "IsRecord" );
-DeclareCategoryCollections( "IsRecordCollection" );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#V  RecordsFamily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . family of records
-##
-##  <ManSection>
-##  <Var Name="RecordsFamily"/>
-##
-##  <Description>
-##  </Description>
-##  </ManSection>
-##
-BIND_GLOBAL( "RecordsFamily", NewFamily( "RecordsFamily", IS_REC ) );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#V  TYPE_PREC_MUTABLE . . . . . . . . . . . type of a mutable internal record
-##
-##  <ManSection>
-##  <Var Name="TYPE_PREC_MUTABLE"/>
-##
-##  <Description>
-##  </Description>
-##  </ManSection>
-##
-BIND_GLOBAL( "TYPE_PREC_MUTABLE",
-    NewType( RecordsFamily, IS_MUTABLE_OBJ and IS_REC and IsInternalRep ) );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#V  TYPE_PREC_IMMUTABLE . . . . . . . .  type of an immutable internal record
-##
-##  <ManSection>
-##  <Var Name="TYPE_PREC_IMMUTABLE"/>
-##
-##  <Description>
-##  </Description>
-##  </ManSection>
-##
-BIND_GLOBAL( "TYPE_PREC_IMMUTABLE",
-    NewType( RecordsFamily, IS_REC and IsInternalRep ) );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#o  \.( <rec>, <name> )	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . get a component value
-##
-DeclareOperationKernel( ".", [ IsObject, IsObject ], ELM_REC );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#o  IsBound\.( <rec>, <name> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  test a component
-##
-DeclareOperationKernel( "IsBound.", [ IsObject, IsObject ], ISB_REC );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#o  \.\:\=( <rec>, <name>, <val> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  assign a value
-##
-DeclareOperationKernel( ".:=", [ IsObject, IsObject, IsObject ], ASS_REC );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#o  Unbind\.( <rec>, <name> ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  unbind component
-##
-DeclareOperationKernel( "Unbind.", [ IsObject, IsObject ], UNB_REC );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#A  RecNames( <record> )
-##
-##  <#GAPDoc Label="RecNames">
-##  <ManSection>
-##  <Attr Name="RecNames" Arg='record'/>
-##
-##  <Description>
-##  returns a list of strings corresponding to the names of the record
-##  components of the record <A>record</A>.
-##  <P/>
-##  <Example><![CDATA[
-##  gap> r := rec( a := 1, b := 2 );;
-##  gap> Set(RecNames( r )); # 'Set' because ordering depends on GAP session
-##  [ "a", "b" ]
-##  ]]></Example>
-##  <P/>
-##  Note that you cannot use the string result in the ordinary way to access
-##  or change a record component.
-##  You can use the <C><A>record</A>.(<A>name</A>)</C> construct for that,
-##  see <Ref Sect="Accessing Record Elements"/> and
-##  <Ref Sect="Record Assignment"/>.
-##  </Description>
-##  </ManSection>
-##  <#/GAPDoc>
-##
-DeclareAttribute( "RecNames", IsRecord );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#M  RecNames( <record> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . names of components
-##
-InstallMethod( RecNames,
-    "for a record in internal representation",
-    [ IsRecord and IsInternalRep ],
-    REC_NAMES );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#F  NamesOfComponents( <comobj> )
-##
-##  <#GAPDoc Label="NamesOfComponents">
-##  <ManSection>
-##  <Func Name="NamesOfComponents" Arg='comobj'/>
-##
-##  <Description>
-##  For a component object <A>comobj</A>,
-##  <Ref Func="NamesOfComponents"/> returns a list of strings,
-##  which are the names of components currently bound in <A>comobj</A>.
-##  <P/>
-##  For a record <A>comobj</A>,
-##  <Ref Func="NamesOfComponents"/> returns the result of
-##  <Ref Func="RecNames"/>.
-##  </Description>
-##  </ManSection>
-##  <#/GAPDoc>
-##
-BIND_GLOBAL( "NamesOfComponents", function( obj )
-    if IsComponentObjectRep( obj ) then
-      return REC_NAMES_COMOBJ( obj );
-    elif IsRecord( obj ) then
-      return RecNames( obj );
-    else
-      Error( "<obj> must be a component object or a record" );
-    fi;
-    end );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#V  IdentifierLetters . . . . . . . .characters allowed in normal identifiers
-##
-##  This is used to produce warning messages when the XxxxGlobal functions
-##  are applied to a name which could not be read in by the parser without
-##  escapes
-##
-
-BIND_GLOBAL( "IdentifierLetters",
-  Immutable("0123456789@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz") );
-
-IsSet( IdentifierLetters ); # ensure GAP knows that this is a set
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  PrintObj( <record> )
-##
-##  The record <record> is printed by printing all its components.
-##
-InstallMethod( PrintObj,
-    "record",
-    [ IsRecord ],
-## Changed to use sorted component names to make printing nicer to read and
-## independent of session (i.e., the ordering in which component names were 
-## first used). Except for the sorting of components this does the same as 
-## the former (now removed) kernel function FuncPRINT_PREC_DEFAULT.
-    function( record )
-    local com, i, snam, nam, names, order;
-    Print("\>\>rec(\n\>\>");
-    com := false;
-
-    names := List(RecNames(record));
-    order := [1..Length(names)];
-    SortParallel(names, order);
-
-    for i in [1..Length(names)] do
-        nam := names[i];
-        if com then
-            Print("\<\<,\n\>\>");
-        else
-            com := true;
-        fi;
-        SET_PRINT_OBJ_INDEX(order[i]);
-        # easy if nam is integer or valid identifier:
-        if ForAll(nam, x-> x in IdentifierLetters) and Size(nam) > 0 then
-          Print(nam, "\< := \>");
-        else 
-          # otherwise we use (...) syntax:
-          snam := String(nam);
-          Print("("); View(snam); Print(")\< := \>");
-        fi;
-        PrintObj(record.(nam));
-    od;
-    Print(" \<\<\<\<)");
-end);
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  String( <record> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  for a record
-##
-InstallMethod( String,
-    "record",
-    [ IsRecord ],
-    function( record )
-    local   str,  nam,  com;
-
-    str := "rec( ";
-    com := false;
-    for nam in Set(RecNames( record )) do
-      if com then
-        Append( str, ", " );
-      else
-        com := true;
-      fi;
-      Append( str, nam );
-      Append( str, " := " );
-      if IsStringRep( record.( nam ) )
-         or ( IsString( record.( nam ) )
-              and not IsEmpty( record.( nam ) ) ) then
-        Append( str, "\"" );
-        Append( str, String( record.(nam) ) );
-        Append( str, "\"" );
-      else
-        Append( str, String( record.(nam) ) );
-      fi;
-    od;
-    Append( str, " )" );
-    # should not be necessary if all methods for components are alright
-    ConvertToStringRep( str );
-    return str;
-end );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  ViewObj( <record> ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  for a record (default)
-##
-InstallMethod( ViewObj,
-    "record",
-    [ IsRecord ],
-    function( record )
-    local nam, com, i, snam, names, order;
-    Print("\>\>rec( \>\>");
-    com := false;
-
-    names := List(RecNames(record));
-    order := [1..Length(names)];
-    SortParallel(names, order);
-
-    for i in [1..Length(names)] do
-        nam := names[i];
-        if com then
-            Print("\<,\< \>\>");
-        else
-            com := true;
-        fi;
-        SET_PRINT_OBJ_INDEX(order[i]);
-        # easy if nam is integer or valid identifier:
-        if ForAll(nam, x-> x in IdentifierLetters) and Size(nam) > 0 then
-          Print(nam, " := ");
-        else 
-          # otherwise we use (...) syntax:
-          snam := String(nam);
-          Print("("); View(snam); Print(") := ");
-        fi;
-        ViewObj(record.(nam));
-    od;
-    Print(" \<\<\<\<)");
-end);
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  <record> = <record>
-##
-InstallMethod( \=,
-    "record = record",
-    IsIdenticalObj,
-    [ IsRecord, IsRecord ],
-    EQ_PREC );
-
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  <record> < <record>
-##
-InstallMethod( \<,
-    "record < record",
-    IsIdenticalObj,
-    [ IsRecord, IsRecord ],
-    LT_PREC );
-
-
-# methods to catch error cases
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  \.
-##
-InstallMethod(\.,"catch error",true,[IsObject,IsObject],0,
-function(obj,nr)
-local msg;
-  msg:=Concatenation("illegal access to record component `obj.",
-        NameRNam(nr),"'\n",
-  "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default do not have record components.\n",
-  "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)      ");
-  Error(msg);
-end);
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  IsBound\.
-##
-InstallMethod(IsBound\.,"catch error",true,[IsObject,IsObject],0,
-function(obj,nr)
-local msg;
-  msg:=Concatenation("illegal access to record component `IsBound(obj.",
-        NameRNam(nr),")'\n",
-  "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default do not have record components.\n",
-  "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)      ");
-  Error(msg);
-end);
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  Unbind\.
-##
-InstallMethod(Unbind\.,"catch error",true,[IsObject,IsObject],0,
-function(obj,nr)
-local msg;
-  msg:=Concatenation("illegal access to record component `Unbind(obj.",
-        NameRNam(nr),")'\n",
-  "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default do not have record components.\n",
-  "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)      ");
-  Error(msg);
-end);
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#m  \.\:\=
-##
-InstallMethod(\.\:\=,"catch error",true,[IsObject,IsObject,IsObject],0,
-function(obj,nr,elm)
-local msg;
-  msg:=Concatenation("illegal assignement to record component `obj.",
-        NameRNam(nr),"'\n",
-  "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default cannot have record components.\n",
-  "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)      ");
-  Error(msg);
-end);
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#F  SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord( <rec-name>[, <record> ][, <field-names>])
-##
-##  set the names of functions bound to components of a record. 
-##
-BIND_GLOBAL("SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord", 
-            function( arg )
-    local   recname,  next,  record,  fields,  field;
-    if LENGTH(arg) = 0 or not IS_STRING(arg[1]) then
-        Error("SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord: you must give a record name");
-    fi;
-    recname := arg[1];
-    next := 2;
-    if LENGTH(arg) >= next and IS_REC(arg[next]) then
-        record := arg[2];
-        next := 3;
-    else 
-        record := VALUE_GLOBAL(recname);
-    fi;
-    if LENGTH(arg) >= next and IS_LIST(arg[next]) then
-        fields := arg[next];
-    else
-        fields := REC_NAMES(record);
-    fi;
-    for field in fields do
-        if IS_STRING(field) then
-            if IsFunction(record.(field)) then
-                SetNameFunction(record.(field), Concatenation(recname,".",field));
-            fi;
-        fi;
-    od;
-end);
-    
-    
-
-#############################################################################
-##
-#E
-
diff --git a/lib/record.gd b/lib/record.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d20061d7b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/record.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,198 @@
+#############################################################################
+##
+#W  record.gd                    GAP library                     Thomas Breuer
+#W                                                             & Frank Celler
+##
+##
+#Y  Copyright (C)  1997,  Lehrstuhl D für Mathematik,  RWTH Aachen,  Germany
+#Y  (C) 1998 School Math and Comp. Sci., University of St Andrews, Scotland
+#Y  Copyright (C) 2002 The GAP Group
+##
+##  This file contains methods for records.
+##  Compared to &GAP; 3, where records were used to represent domains and
+##  all kinds of external arithmetic objects, in &GAP; 4 there is no
+##  important role for records.
+##  So the standard library provides only methods for `PrintObj', `String',
+##  `=', and `<', and the latter two are not installed to compare records
+##  with objects in other families.
+##
+##  In order to achieve a special behaviour of records as in &GAP; 3 such
+##  that a record can be regarded as equal to objects in other families
+##  or such that a record can be compared via `<' with objects in other
+##  families, one can load the file `compat3c.g'.
+##
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#C  IsRecord( <obj> )
+#C  IsRecordCollection( <obj> )
+#C  IsRecordCollColl( <obj> )
+##
+##  <#GAPDoc Label="IsRecord">
+##  <ManSection>
+##  <Filt Name="IsRecord" Arg='obj' Type='Category'/>
+##  <Filt Name="IsRecordCollection" Arg='obj' Type='Category'/>
+##  <Filt Name="IsRecordCollColl" Arg='obj' Type='Category'/>
+##
+##  <Description>
+##  <Index Subkey="for records">test</Index>
+##  <Example><![CDATA[
+##  gap> IsRecord( rec( a := 1, b := 2 ) );
+##  true
+##  gap> IsRecord( IsRecord );
+##  false
+##  ]]></Example>
+##  </Description>
+##  </ManSection>
+##  <#/GAPDoc>
+##
+DeclareCategoryKernel( "IsRecord", IsObject, IS_REC );
+DeclareCategoryCollections( "IsRecord" );
+DeclareCategoryCollections( "IsRecordCollection" );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#V  RecordsFamily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . family of records
+##
+##  <ManSection>
+##  <Var Name="RecordsFamily"/>
+##
+##  <Description>
+##  </Description>
+##  </ManSection>
+##
+BIND_GLOBAL( "RecordsFamily", NewFamily( "RecordsFamily", IS_REC ) );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#V  TYPE_PREC_MUTABLE . . . . . . . . . . . type of a mutable internal record
+##
+##  <ManSection>
+##  <Var Name="TYPE_PREC_MUTABLE"/>
+##
+##  <Description>
+##  </Description>
+##  </ManSection>
+##
+BIND_GLOBAL( "TYPE_PREC_MUTABLE",
+    NewType( RecordsFamily, IS_MUTABLE_OBJ and IS_REC and IsInternalRep ) );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#V  TYPE_PREC_IMMUTABLE . . . . . . . .  type of an immutable internal record
+##
+##  <ManSection>
+##  <Var Name="TYPE_PREC_IMMUTABLE"/>
+##
+##  <Description>
+##  </Description>
+##  </ManSection>
+##
+BIND_GLOBAL( "TYPE_PREC_IMMUTABLE",
+    NewType( RecordsFamily, IS_REC and IsInternalRep ) );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#o  \.( <rec>, <name> )	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . get a component value
+##
+DeclareOperationKernel( ".", [ IsObject, IsObject ], ELM_REC );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#o  IsBound\.( <rec>, <name> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  test a component
+##
+DeclareOperationKernel( "IsBound.", [ IsObject, IsObject ], ISB_REC );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#o  \.\:\=( <rec>, <name>, <val> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  assign a value
+##
+DeclareOperationKernel( ".:=", [ IsObject, IsObject, IsObject ], ASS_REC );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#o  Unbind\.( <rec>, <name> ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  unbind component
+##
+DeclareOperationKernel( "Unbind.", [ IsObject, IsObject ], UNB_REC );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#A  RecNames( <record> )
+##
+##  <#GAPDoc Label="RecNames">
+##  <ManSection>
+##  <Attr Name="RecNames" Arg='record'/>
+##
+##  <Description>
+##  returns a list of strings corresponding to the names of the record
+##  components of the record <A>record</A>.
+##  <P/>
+##  <Example><![CDATA[
+##  gap> r := rec( a := 1, b := 2 );;
+##  gap> Set(RecNames( r )); # 'Set' because ordering depends on GAP session
+##  [ "a", "b" ]
+##  ]]></Example>
+##  <P/>
+##  Note that you cannot use the string result in the ordinary way to access
+##  or change a record component.
+##  You can use the <C><A>record</A>.(<A>name</A>)</C> construct for that,
+##  see <Ref Sect="Accessing Record Elements"/> and
+##  <Ref Sect="Record Assignment"/>.
+##  </Description>
+##  </ManSection>
+##  <#/GAPDoc>
+##
+DeclareAttribute( "RecNames", IsRecord );
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#F  NamesOfComponents( <comobj> )
+##
+##  <#GAPDoc Label="NamesOfComponents">
+##  <ManSection>
+##  <Func Name="NamesOfComponents" Arg='comobj'/>
+##
+##  <Description>
+##  For a component object <A>comobj</A>,
+##  <Ref Func="NamesOfComponents"/> returns a list of strings,
+##  which are the names of components currently bound in <A>comobj</A>.
+##  <P/>
+##  For a record <A>comobj</A>,
+##  <Ref Func="NamesOfComponents"/> returns the result of
+##  <Ref Func="RecNames"/>.
+##  </Description>
+##  </ManSection>
+##  <#/GAPDoc>
+##
+DeclareGlobalFunction( "NamesOfComponents" );
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#V  IdentifierLetters . . . . . . . .characters allowed in normal identifiers
+##
+##  This is used to produce warning messages when the XxxxGlobal functions
+##  are applied to a name which could not be read in by the parser without
+##  escapes
+##
+
+BIND_GLOBAL( "IdentifierLetters",
+  Immutable("0123456789@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz") );
+
+IsSet( IdentifierLetters ); # ensure GAP knows that this is a set
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#F  SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord( <rec-name>[, <record> ][, <field-names>])
+##
+##  set the names of functions bound to components of a record. 
+##
+DeclareGlobalFunction("SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord");
diff --git a/lib/record.gi b/lib/record.gi
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..08854084ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/record.gi
@@ -0,0 +1,311 @@
+# record.g
+#
+
+# returns names of components
+InstallMethod( RecNames,
+               "for a record in internal representation",
+               [ IsRecord and IsInternalRep ],
+               REC_NAMES );
+
+
+InstallGlobalFunction( "NamesOfComponents",
+function( obj )
+    if IsComponentObjectRep( obj ) then
+        return REC_NAMES_COMOBJ( obj );
+    elif IsRecord( obj ) then
+        return RecNames( obj );
+    else
+        Error( "<obj> must be a component object or a record" );
+    fi;
+end );
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#m  PrintObj( <record> )
+##
+##  The record <record> is printed by printing all its components.
+##
+InstallMethod( PrintObj,
+    "record",
+    [ IsRecord ],
+## Changed to use sorted component names to make printing nicer to read and
+## independent of session (i.e., the ordering in which component names were 
+## first used). Except for the sorting of components this does the same as 
+## the former (now removed) kernel function FuncPRINT_PREC_DEFAULT.
+    function( record )
+    local com, i, snam, nam, names, order;
+    Print("\>\>rec(\n\>\>");
+    com := false;
+
+    names := List(RecNames(record));
+    order := [1..Length(names)];
+    SortParallel(names, order);
+
+    for i in [1..Length(names)] do
+        nam := names[i];
+        if com then
+            Print("\<\<,\n\>\>");
+        else
+            com := true;
+        fi;
+        SET_PRINT_OBJ_INDEX(order[i]);
+        # easy if nam is integer or valid identifier:
+        if ForAll(nam, x-> x in IdentifierLetters) and Size(nam) > 0 then
+          Print(nam, "\< := \>");
+        else 
+          # otherwise we use (...) syntax:
+          snam := String(nam);
+          Print("("); View(snam); Print(")\< := \>");
+        fi;
+        PrintObj(record.(nam));
+    od;
+    Print(" \<\<\<\<)");
+end);
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#m  String( <record> )  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  for a record
+##
+InstallMethod( String,
+    "record",
+    [ IsRecord ],
+    function( record )
+    local   str,  nam,  com;
+
+    str := "rec( ";
+    com := false;
+    for nam in Set(RecNames( record )) do
+      if com then
+        Append( str, ", " );
+      else
+        com := true;
+      fi;
+      Append( str, nam );
+      Append( str, " := " );
+      if IsStringRep( record.( nam ) )
+         or ( IsString( record.( nam ) )
+              and not IsEmpty( record.( nam ) ) ) then
+        Append( str, "\"" );
+        Append( str, String( record.(nam) ) );
+        Append( str, "\"" );
+      else
+        Append( str, String( record.(nam) ) );
+      fi;
+    od;
+    Append( str, " )" );
+    # should not be necessary if all methods for components are alright
+    ConvertToStringRep( str );
+    return str;
+end );
+
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#m  ViewObj( <record> ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  for a record (default)
+##
+InstallMethod( ViewObj,
+    "record",
+    [ IsRecord ],
+    function( record )
+    local nam, com, i, snam, names, order;
+    Print("\>\>rec( \>\>");
+    com := false;
+
+    names := List(RecNames(record));
+    order := [1..Length(names)];
+    SortParallel(names, order);
+
+    for i in [1..Length(names)] do
+        nam := names[i];
+        if com then
+            Print("\<,\< \>\>");
+        else
+            com := true;
+        fi;
+        SET_PRINT_OBJ_INDEX(order[i]);
+        # easy if nam is integer or valid identifier:
+        if ForAll(nam, x-> x in IdentifierLetters) and Size(nam) > 0 then
+          Print(nam, " := ");
+        else 
+          # otherwise we use (...) syntax:
+          snam := String(nam);
+          Print("("); View(snam); Print(") := ");
+        fi;
+        ViewObj(record.(nam));
+    od;
+    Print(" \<\<\<\<)");
+end);
+
+InstallMethod( ViewObjStream,
+               "for a record",
+               [ IsOutputStream, IsRecord ],
+function(stream, record)
+    local nam, com, i, snam, names, order;
+
+    PrintTo(stream, "\>\>rec( \>\>");
+
+    com := false;
+    names := List(RecNames(record));
+    order := [1..Length(names)];
+    SortParallel(names, order);
+
+    for i in [1..Length(names)] do
+        nam := names[i];
+        if com then
+            PrintTo(stream, "\<,\< \>\>");
+        else
+            com := true;
+        fi;
+        SET_PRINT_OBJ_INDEX(order[i]);
+        # easy if nam is integer or valid identifier:
+        if ForAll(nam, x-> x in IdentifierLetters) and Size(nam) > 0 then
+            PrintTo(stream, nam, " := ");
+        else
+            # otherwise we use (...) syntax:
+            snam := String(nam);
+            PrintTo(stream, "(");
+            ViewObjStream(stream, snam);
+            PrintTo(stream, ") := ");
+        fi;
+        ViewObjStream(stream, record.(nam));
+    od;
+    PrintTo(stream, " \<\<\<\<)");
+end);
+
+InstallMethod( CodeObjStream,
+               "for a record",
+               [ IsOutputStream, IsRecord ],
+function( stream, record )
+    local com, i, snam, nam, names, order;
+
+    PrintTo(stream, "\>\>rec(\n\>\>");
+    com := false;
+
+    names := List(RecNames(record));
+    order := [1..Length(names)];
+    SortParallel(names, order);
+
+    for i in [1..Length(names)] do
+        nam := names[i];
+        if com then
+            PrintTo(stream, "\<\<,\n\>\>");
+        else
+            com := true;
+        fi;
+        SET_PRINT_OBJ_INDEX(order[i]);
+        # easy if nam is integer or valid identifier:
+        if ForAll(nam, x-> x in IdentifierLetters) and Size(nam) > 0 then
+            PrintTo(stream, nam, "\< := \>");
+        else
+            # otherwise we use (...) syntax:
+            snam := String(nam);
+            PrintTo(stream, "(");
+            CodeObjStream(stream, snam);
+            PrintTo(stream, ")\< := \>");
+        fi;
+        CodeObjStream(stream, record.(nam));
+    od;
+    PrintTo(stream, " \<\<\<\<)");
+end);
+
+InstallMethod( \=,
+               "record = record",
+               IsIdenticalObj,
+               [ IsRecord, IsRecord ],
+               EQ_PREC );
+
+InstallMethod( \<,
+               "record < record",
+               IsIdenticalObj,
+               [ IsRecord, IsRecord ],
+               LT_PREC );
+
+
+# methods to catch error cases
+
+InstallMethod( \.,
+               "catch error",
+               true,
+               [IsObject,IsObject],
+               0,
+function(obj,nr)
+    local msg;
+    msg:=Concatenation("illegal access to record component `obj.",
+                        NameRNam(nr),"'\n",
+                        "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default do not have record components.\n",
+                        "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)");
+    Error(msg);
+end);
+
+InstallMethod( IsBound\.,
+               "catch error",true,[IsObject,IsObject],0,
+function(obj,nr)
+    local msg;
+    msg:=Concatenation("illegal access to record component `IsBound(obj.",
+                        NameRNam(nr),")'\n",
+                        "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default do not have record components.\n",
+                        "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)");
+    Error(msg);
+end);
+
+InstallMethod( Unbind\.,
+               "catch error",
+               true,
+               [IsObject,IsObject],
+               0,
+function(obj,nr)
+    local msg;
+    msg:=Concatenation("illegal access to record component `Unbind(obj.",
+                       NameRNam(nr),")'\n",
+                       "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default do not have record components.\n",
+                       "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)");
+    Error(msg);
+end);
+
+InstallMethod( \.\:\=,
+               "catch error",
+               true,
+               [IsObject,IsObject,IsObject],
+               0,
+function(obj,nr,elm)
+local msg;
+    msg:=Concatenation("illegal assignement to record component `obj.",
+                       NameRNam(nr),"'\n",
+                       "of the object <obj>. (Objects by default cannot have record components.\n",
+                       "The error might be a relic from translated GAP3 code.)");
+    Error(msg);
+end);
+
+#############################################################################
+##
+#F  SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord( <rec-name>[, <record> ][, <field-names>])
+##
+##  set the names of functions bound to components of a record. 
+##
+InstallGlobalFunction(SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord, 
+function(arg)
+    local recname, next, record, fields, field;
+    if LENGTH(arg) = 0 or not IS_STRING(arg[1]) then
+        Error("SetNamesForFunctionsInRecord: you must give a record name");
+    fi;
+    recname := arg[1];
+    next := 2;
+    if LENGTH(arg) >= next and IS_REC(arg[next]) then
+        record := arg[2];
+        next := 3;
+    else
+        record := VALUE_GLOBAL(recname);
+    fi;
+    if LENGTH(arg) >= next and IS_LIST(arg[next]) then
+        fields := arg[next];
+    else
+        fields := REC_NAMES(record);
+    fi;
+    for field in fields do
+        if IS_STRING(field) then
+            if IsFunction(record.(field)) then
+                SetNameFunction(record.(field), Concatenation(recname,".",field));
+            fi;
+        fi;
+    od;
+end);