Outer - Revision history

JoeStrout at 13:37, 29 October 2022

2022-10-29T13:37:45Z

JoeStrout: fixed formatting problems and bug in example code

2021-10-05T19:34:10Z

fixed formatting problems and bug in example code

JoeStrout: Created page with "The '''outer''' intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope. In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in whic..."

2020-06-03T15:32:03Z

Created page with "The '''outer''' intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope. In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in whic..."

New page

The '''outer''' intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope. In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in which '''outer'' is called. In an [[import]] module, it can be used to access the module scope (similar to "file scope" in some other languages). If called in an ordinary, non-nested function defined at the global scope, then '''outer''' is equivalent to '''[[globals]]'''.

See also: [[globals]]; [[locals]].

== Example ==

Many of the modules in '''/sys/lib''' run unit tests. The ```runUnitTests``` function defines several a helper function, ```assertEqual``` inside it. This function checks for errors, but also needs to maintain an error count across calls. So it uses '''outer''' to update an error count defined at the level of the enclosing function, ```runUnitTests```:

<ms>runUnitTests = function()
errorCount = 0
assertEqual = function(actual, expected)
if actual != expected then
print "Unit test failure (" + testing + "): expected " + expected + ", got " + actual
outer.errorCount = errorCount + 1
end if
end function

assertEqual 2+2, 5
end function
runUnitTests</ms>

[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Intrinsic Functions]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:37, 29 October 2022
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	The <c>outer</c> intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope. In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in which ~~<c>outer</c> is called~~. In an [[import]] module, it can be used to access the module scope (similar to "file scope" in some other languages). If called in an ordinary, non-nested function defined at the global scope, then <c>outer</c> is equivalent to <c>[[globals]]</c>.	+	The <c>outer</c> intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope. In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in which the nested function was defined. In an [[import]] module, it can be used to access the module scope (similar to "file scope" in some other languages). If called in an ordinary, non-nested function defined at the global scope, then <c>outer</c> is equivalent to <c>[[globals]]</c>.

	See also: [[globals]]; [[locals]].		See also: [[globals]]; [[locals]].

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''outer''' intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope.  In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in which '''outer'' is called.  In an [[import]] module, it can be used to access the module scope (similar to "file scope" in some other languages).  If called in an ordinary, non-nested function defined at the global scope, then '''outer''' is equivalent to '''[[globals]]'''.
+The <c>outer</c> intrinsic function gets a reference to the variables of the enclosing scope.  In the case of nested functions, it's the variables local to the function in which <c>outer</c> is called.  In an [[import]] module, it can be used to access the module scope (similar to "file scope" in some other languages).  If called in an ordinary, non-nested function defined at the global scope, then <c>outer</c> is equivalent to <c>[[globals]]</c>.
 See also: [[globals]]; [[locals]].
@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 == Example ==
-Many of the modules in '''/sys/lib''' run unit tests.  The ```runUnitTests``` function defines several a helper function, ```assertEqual``` inside it.  This function checks for errors, but also needs to maintain an error count across calls.  So it uses '''outer''' to update an error count defined at the level of the enclosing function, ```runUnitTests```:
+Many of the modules in <c>/sys/lib</c> run unit tests.  The <c>runUnitTests</c> function defines several a helper function, <c>assertEqual</c> inside it.  This function checks for errors, but also needs to maintain an error count across calls.  So it uses <c>outer</c> to update an error count defined at the level of the enclosing function, <c>runUnitTests</c>:
 <ms>runUnitTests = function()
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
      assertEqual = function(actual, expected)
          if actual != expected then
-             print "Unit test failure (" + testing + "): expected " + expected + ", got " + actual
+             print "Unit test failure: expected " + expected + ", got " + actual
              outer.errorCount = errorCount + 1
          end if