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

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