LIBRARY Modules

A MODULE with the LIBRARY option defines a related set of functions meant to be used as a query library (see the LIBRARY function and BUILD action discussions). There are several restrictions on what may be included in a query library. They are:

It may not contain side-effect actions (like OUTPUT or BUILD)
It may not contain definitions with workflow services attached to them (such as PERSIST, STORED, SUCCESS, etc.)

It may only EXPORT:

Dataset/recordset definitions
Datarow definitions (such as the ROW function)
Single-valued and Boolean definitions

And may NOT export:

Actions (like OUTPUT or BUILD)
TRANSFORM functions
Other MODULE structures
MACRO definitions

Example:

EXPORT filterDataset(STRING search, BOOLEAN onlyOldies) := MODULE
  f := namesTable; //local to the "g" definition
  SHARED g := IF (onlyOldies, f(age >= 65), f);
          //SHARED = visible only within the structure
  EXPORT included := g(surname != search);
  EXPORT excluded := g(surname = search);
          //EXPORT = visible outside the structure
END;
filtered := filterDataset('Halliday', TRUE);
OUTPUT(filtered.included,,NAMED('Included'));
OUTPUT(filtered.excluded,,NAMED('Excluded'));
       
//same result, different coding style:
EXPORT filterDataset(BOOLEAN onlyOldies) := MODULE
  f := namesTable;
  SHARED g := IF (onlyOldies, f(age >= 65), f);
  EXPORT included(STRING search) := g(surname <> search);
  EXPORT excluded(STRING search) := g(surname = search);
END;
filtered := filterDataset(TRUE);
OUTPUT(filtered.included('Halliday'),,NAMED('Included'));
OUTPUT(filterDataset(true).excluded('Halliday'),,NAMED('Excluded'));
          
          
//VIRTUAL examples
Mod1 := MODULE,VIRTUAL //a fully abstract module
  EXPORT val := 1;
  EXPORT func(INTEGER sc) := val * sc;
END;
         
Mod2 := MODULE(Mod1) //instance
  EXPORT val := 3; //a concete member, overriding default value
                   //while func remains abstract
END;
     
Mod3 := MODULE(Mod1) //a fully concete instance
  EXPORT func(INTEGER sc) := val + sc; //overrides inherited func
END;
OUTPUT(Mod2.func(5)); //result is 15
OUTPUT(Mod3.func(5)); //result is 6

//FORWARD example
EXPORT MyModule := MODULE, FORWARD
  EXPORT INTEGER foo := bar;
  EXPORT INTEGER bar := 42;
END;

MyModule.foo;