Using Modules in Scripts

Once created, a Vortex module's functions can be utilized by other scripts or modules with a <USES> directive at the top of the script:

<USES [DATE=date] module[=file] [module[=file] ...]>

One or more modules are named in the directive. Each module's code will be included when compiling the script. By default the latest revision of each module is used; if the DATE option is given then the latest revision on or before that date is used. This enables a script to "freeze" its usage in time and ignore later revisions, if for example the calling syntax for some functions in the module has changed, but the script hasn't updated its usage.

Module functions are visible to the script according to their scope; see the discussion of function scope on here for details.

When any listed module is later changed, a script that <USES> the module - directly or indirectly - will be flagged for re-compilation on invocation. This ensures that scripts are kept up-to-date with respect to the modules they use, so that manual re-compilation is not needed.

For more information on the <USES> directive, see here.