pTAL Reference Manual (G06.24+, H06.09+, J06.03+)

public-name-spec
If a procedure declaration includes public-name-spec, it must also include EXTERNAL.
If a procedure declaration includes LANGUAGE, it must also include public-name-spec.
public-name
is the procedure name to use in the linker, not in the compilation unit. The default
public-name is identifier . public-name must conform to the identifier rules of the
language in which the external procedure is written. For all languages except HP C, the
compiler upshifts public-name automatically.
parameter-list
param-name
is the identifier of a formal parameter. A procedure can have up to 32 formal parameters.
param-pair
is a pair of formal parameter identifiers that comprise a language-independent string descriptor
in the form:
string
is the identifier of a standard or extended STRING simple pointer. The actual parameter is
the identifier of a STRING array or simple pointer declared inside or outside a structure.
length
is the identifier of a directly addressed INT simple variable. The actual parameter is an INT
expression that specifies the length of string, in bytes.
proc-attribute
is a procedure attribute, as described in Procedure Attributes (page 248).
param-spec
specifies the parameter type of a formal parameter and whether it is a value or reference
parameter, as described in Formal Parameter Specification (page 251).
proc-body
is a BEGIN-END block that contains local declarations and statements, as described in Procedure
Body (page 256).
FORWARD
specifies that the procedure body is declared later in the compilation.
EXTERNAL
specifies that the procedure body is either declared in another compilation unit or later in this
compilation unit.
Procedure Declarations 247