IFDEF directive in VectorScript

[wezelboy]

It would be very useful to have an $IFDEF compiler directive in Vectorscript.

-P

[Dieter @ DWorks]

and that is???

[wezelboy]

It is a compiler directive that is common in programming languages. It is actually part of a series of compiler directives- $DEFINE, $IFDEF, $IFNDEF, and $ENDIF.

$DEFINE [macro code] is used as either a boolean flag to the compiler or to define a macro.

You put blocks of code between $IFDEF and $ENDIF directives. If the identifier has been defined to the compiler with a $DEFINE directive, then that code is compiled. Otherwise it is ignored.

$IFNDEF is the same as $IFDEF except that the code is compiled if the identifier is not defined.

$IFNDEF is most commonly used for "warding"- which is the basically the practice of enclosing a code library in an $IFNDEF directive and having a $DEFINE directive inside the code library. This insures that each code library is defined and compiled only once.

$IFDEF is commonly used in "instrumentation"- which is a method of debugging without the use of an interactive debugger.