Passing arguments and calling programs (Beginning level)
Contributed by: Doug Rickman, Global Hydrology and Climate Center, MSFC, NASA
This is aimed at beginning REXX users.
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/*************** Passing Arguments and Calling Programs *********************/
/* In the calling routine the format is */
/* Call SomeRoutine arg1a arg1b , arg2, arg3 ... or it is */
/* rc=SomeRoutine(arg1a arg1b,arg2,arg3,...) */
/* These translate into English as pass arg1a and arg1b as a single string */
/* to the subroutine and arg2 and arg3 as separate strings. */
/* Note that the first form always places any 'RETURN'ed value in 'RESULT'. */
/* If there is no value returned there is no problem. The second form MUST */
/* have something returned. */
/* You can pass multiple input arguments to the program. Of course, only one*/
/* argument can be returned from the program, though that one argument can */
/* be a string. */
/* In the called program to bring in an argument without change to case use */
/* "parse arg a b c ... */
/* Note that this is parsing argument 1! */
/* arguments can be accessed by doing */
/* Variable1=arg(1) */
/* Variable2=arg(2) */
/* Variable3=arg(3) */
/* this will start another rexx program and pass arguments to it */
call 'g:\source\ERMVectorStripper.cmd' ' -p' 'I:\DLG\100K\FONT-E\BDY\FOLAB8'
/* to call an external routine named "comma" */
call "comma" SomeNumber /* or */
rc="comma"(SomeNumber)
/* in the external routine do this */
Number = ARG(1)
.....
RETURN VALUE
