A - function definition

`A` - function definition

SYNOPSIS

<A NAME=name [PUBLIC | EXPORT | PRIVATE] [param[=value|$var] ...]>
  ... statements ...
</A>

DESCRIPTION
An anchor (<A>) tag delimits Vortex script functions. The function name is given by the NAME attribute. Following the anchor tag are the function's statements, and a closing </A> tag ends the function.

Function names, like variable names, are composed solely of alphanumeric characters, underscores (_), periods or spaces (i.e. if the name is in quotes), optionally starting with a slash (/). There must be at least one letter or underscore, which must occur before any digits. A function name cannot be a reserved word, such as an HTML or Vortex tag, or the name of a previously-declared function (such as a builtin or user function). These are the reserved tag names in Vortex:


`ADDTRAILING`	`DB`	`FMTCP`	`POP`	`SORT`	`TRACESQL`
`ARRAY`	`DEFAULT`	`FMTINFO`	`PUSH`	`SPLIT`	`TRAP`
`BREAK`	`ELSE`	`GETVAR`	`PUTMSG`	`SQL`	`UNIQ`
`CAL`	`ELSEIF`	`HASH`	`READLN`	`SQLCACHE`	`USER`
`CALDATE`	`ENTRYFUNC`	`IF`	`READVARS`	`STACK`	`USES`
`CALRULE`	`EXEC`	`LOCAL`	`RETURN`	`STAT`	`VARINFO`
`CAPTURE`	`EXIT`	`LOOP`	`REX`	`STRFMT`	`VXCP`
`CASE`	`EXITFUNC`	`MM`	`SB`	`SUBMIT`	`WATCHPATH`
`CONTINUE`	`EXPORT`	`NSLOOKUP`	`SCHEDULE`	`SWITCH`	`WHILE`
`COOKIES`	`FETCH`	`PAGELINKS`	`SETVAR`	`TIMEOUT`	`WRITE`
`COUNT`	`FMT`	`PASS`	`SLICE`	`TIMPORT`	`XTREE`

Script function names are case-sensitive. A function name may start with a slash (/), so that end-tag like functions can be declared. Function declarations cannot be nested ala Pascal; any anchor tags inside a function are printed out like any other non-Vortex tag. However, unlike some languages, Vortex functions can be called before the point they are declared (i.e. no C-like prototypes are needed).