Creating Easytrieve Macros.

Creating Macros

There are two parts to every macro: a prototype statement and the macro code.

Prototype Statement

A prototype statement identifies the code which follows as a macro and sets up substitution parameters if they are to be used. You are required to code the prototype statement first in a macro.

MACRO [n] [positional] [keyword]

• You use MACRO to identify the start of a macro.
• Two types of parameter substitution are available positional and keyword.

Positional – Ordered

• No default substitution
• Must be supplied when invoking a macro or will be null (treated as nonexistent).

Keyword – Unordered

• Must supply default values
• Useful when default values are needed or for infrequently used parameters
• May be supplied or allowed to default when invoking a macro

Example

A macro called PAYLIB exists in your library containing:

MACRO
      FILE PAYROLL
            NAME                1    20     A
            DEPT               21     2     A
            GROSS             23     4     P   2
            NET                27      4     P   2
  
DEDUCTIONS                W      4     P   2

Macro Invocation

Once you have created and stored a macro you can use it in any program.

%macro-name macro-parameter

• The % (percent sign) directs EASYTRIEVE PLUS to retrieve a macro with the designated name.
• Macro-parameters are the parameters you want to be substituted in the macro (positional or keyword).

How to Use in a program

The PAYLIB macro on the previous page is used in a program in this manner.

%PAYLIB
 JOB INPUT PAYROLL NAME DEDUCTRPT
  IF DEPT = 911 914 THRU 920
             DEDUCTIONS = GROSS - NET
             PRINT  MACRO-EXAMPLE
  REPORT MACRO-EXAMPLE
  SEQUENCE DEPT NAME
  TITLE 1 ‘EXAMPLE OF USING MACROS’
  TITLE 2 ‘IN A PROGRAM’
  LINE 1 DEPT NAME GROSS NET DEDUCTIONS

• MACRO(no substitution parameters)
• MACRO POS1 POS2(only positional parameters)
• MACRO 0 KEY1 VALUE1 KEY2 VALUE2 (only keyword parameters)
• MACRO 2 POS1 POS2 KEY1 VALUE1 (keyword and positional combined)

Created with Artisteer