Local procedure

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Local procedure

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Local procedure

Overview

Two types of procedures are available:

Global procedure: can be used in all the processes/events of the project. This global procedure is stored in the project.
Local procedure: can be used in all processes/events that depend on the object (window, page, report or control) in which this procedure was declared. This local procedure is stored in the object.

Important: You must not declare two procedures with the same name (especially a global procedure and a local procedure).

Reminder:

In WLanguage, there is no distinction between the procedures and the functions. The syntaxes for declaring and using procedures also apply to functions.
You have the ability to create overloaded procedures. For more details, see Prototype overload.

Local procedure

Procedures local to a window

Local procedures declared in a window can be called from all processes/events:

of the window,
of the window controls,
of the local procedures associated with the window.

These procedures are stored in the window.

Limits:

The local procedures of a window cannot be used by its sibling windows.
The local procedures declared in a child window cannot be used in its parent window.

Procedures local to a page

Local procedures declared in a page can be called from all processes/events:

of the page,
of the page controls,
of the local procedures associated with the page.

These procedures are stored in the page.

You can declare in a page:

local server procedures. This type of local procedure contains WLanguage code that will be run on the server.
local browser procedures. This type of local procedure contains WLanguage code that will be run on the browser.
mixed local procedures. This type of procedure can be run on both the server and the browser. The code of this procedure must be compatible (it must work on both the server AND the browser).

Limit: The local server procedures of a page cannot call the local browser procedures of a page and conversely.

Remark: Mixed local procedure: This type of procedure can be run on both the server and the browser. The code of this procedure must be compatible (it must work on both the server AND the browser).
To use a specific server code and/or a specific browser code, you can use the following syntax:

<IF Browser>
// Code to be run only on the browser
<END>
<IF Server>
// Code to be run only on the server
<END>

Procedures local to a report

Local procedures declared in a report can be called from all processes/events:

of the report,
of report controls,
of the local procedures associated with the report.

These procedures are stored in the report.

Procedures local to a control

Local procedures declared in a control can be called from all processes/events:

of the control,
of the local procedures associated with the control.

These procedures are stored with the control. When the control is copied, the local procedures associated with it will be copied.

You can make procedures local to controls in a window, page or report.

Only "server" procedures local to controls are available. You cannot make a browser procedure local to a control.

Creating a local procedure

Creation from the code editor

To create a procedure local to the current element from the code editor:

Method 1:
1. Create the procedure:
  - To create a procedure local to a window, control or report, go to the "Code" tab, "Procedures" group, expand "New" and select "New local procedure" (or press F4).
  - To create a server procedure local to a a page or a control in a page: on the "Code" tab, in the "Procedures" group, expand "New" and select "New local procedure (Server)".
  - To create a browser procedure local to a page: on the "Code" tab, in the "Procedures" group, expand "New" and select "New local procedure (Browser)".
2. In the window that appears:
  - Specify the name of the procedure to create.
  - The option "Generate a header comment" is used to automatically generate the comment for the procedure prototype.
    For more details, see Automatic documentation of procedures.
  - Specify the role of the procedure: Undefined, Business, UI. By default, procedures have an "Undefined" role.
  - If the code editor shows the code of a control, the "Create the procedure within the control" option allows you to specify whether or not the local procedure should be associated with the control.
3. Click the "Add" button. The local procedure is created. The created procedure is public by default. For more details, see Public or private local procedure.

Method 2:
1. Create the procedure:
  - To create a local procedure: select "New .. New local procedure" in the context menu.
  - To create a local server procedure, select "New .. New local procedure (Server)".
  - To create a local browser procedure, select "New .. New local procedure (Browser)".
2. In the window that appears:
  - Specify the name of the procedure to create.
  - The option "Generate a header comment" is used to automatically generate the comment for the procedure prototype.
    For more details, see Automatic documentation of procedures.
  - Specify the role of the procedure: Undefined, Business, UI. By default, procedures have an "Undefined" role.
  - If the code editor shows the code of a control, the "Create the procedure within the control" option allows you to specify whether or not the local procedure should be associated with the control.
3. Click the "Add" button. The local procedure is created. The created procedure is public by default. For more details, see Public or private local procedure.
Method 3: To create a local procedure:
1. Place the cursor in the "Global declarations" event of the window or page, in an event of the control or in the "Opening" event of the report.
2. Type the prototype of procedure to create.
3. Validate. The local procedure is automatically created.

Remark: To transform a section of code already entered in a local procedure into a local procedure:

Select the corresponding code.
Select "New .. Create a local procedure containing the selected code" in the context menu.
Specify:
- the name of the procedure.
- the scope of the procedure. The created procedure is public by default. For more details, see Public or private local procedure.
The procedure is created, the corresponding code is replaced with the call to the procedure with the necessary parameters.

Remark: If the selected code is a server code, the created procedure will be a server procedure. If the selected code is a browser code, the created procedure will be a browser procedure.

Creation from the "Project explorer" pane

To create a local procedure from the "Project explorer" pane:

Select the element associated with the local procedure (window, page, report, control, etc.).
Expand the element options and select "Procedures".
Remark: If a control has no associated procedures, the "Procedures" option will not appear. In this case, select the name of the control.
Open the context menu.
Select:
- "New procedure".
- "New server procedure".
- "New browser procedure".
- "New mixed procedure".
In the window that appears:
- Specify the name of new local procedure.
- The option "Generate a header comment" is used to automatically generate the comment for the procedure prototype.
  For more details, see Automatic documentation of procedures.
- Specify the role of the procedure: Undefined, Business, UI. By default, procedures have an "Undefined" role.
Click the "Add" button. The local procedure is created. The created procedure is public by default. For more details, see Public or private local procedure.
Validate.

Displaying the list of local procedures

To display the list of local procedures in the "Project explorer" pane, go to the code editor and press F8.

Deleting a local procedure

To delete a local procedure from the "Project explorer" pane:

Select the element associated with the local procedure (window, page, report, control, etc.).
Expand the element options.
Expand "Procedures".
Select the desired procedure.
Open the context menu of the procedure and select "Delete".

Public or private local procedure

A local procedure is public by default: it is accessible from anywhere in the code.

In some cases, it may be useful to restrict the access to a local procedure by making it "Private".

When creating a local procedure, you have the ability to specify whether the procedure is public or private.

To modify the access mode to a local procedure:

Select the local procedure in the "Project explorer" pane.
In the context menu of the procedure, select the new access mode::
- public.
- private.

The color of the procedure bar changes according to its access mode:

red beginning of bar: private procedure.
standard beginning of bar: public procedure.

Remark: External component and private or public local procedures:
The use of private or public local procedures has an impact in the external components. Indeed, only the procedures explicitly declared as public (with the PUBLIC keyword used in their prototype) found in an external component cannot be accessed from the project that includes this component.