Clause :

An optional or required section of a Clipper language command beginning with a keyword that modifies or enhances the command.

Command :

A statement to be translated by the Clipper preprocessor into source code that will perform a particular operation. All Clipper language commands are defined in the standard header file, STD.CH, located in …INCLUDE. Also, the preprocessor directives that define a command.

See Also: Header File, Statement, STD.CH

Condition :

A logical expression that determines whether an operation will take place. With database commands, a logical expression that determines what records are included in an operation. Conditions are specified as arguments of the FOR or WHILE clause.

Keyword :

A word that has a special meaning to a compiler or other utility program. Commands, directives, or options are often recognized by examining supplied text to see if it contains keywords.

List :

A list of expressions, field names, or filenames, separated by commas specified generally as command, procedure, or function arguments. Code blocks can also execute a list of expressions.

Optional Clause :

A portion of a match pattern that is enclosed in square ([ ]) brackets. An optional clause specifies part of a match pattern that need not be present for source text to match the pattern. An optional clause may contain any of the components legal within a match pattern, including other optional clauses. When a match pattern contains a series of optional clauses that are immediately adjacent to each other, the matching portions of the source text are not required to appear in the same order as the clauses in the match pattern. If an optional clause is matched by more than one part of the source text, the multiple matches may be handled using a repeating clause in the result pattern.

Scope :

In a database command, a clause that specifies a range of database records to be addressed by the command. The scope clause uses the qualifiers ALL, NEXT, RECORD, and REST to define the record scope.

See Also: Condition

Skeleton :

A wildcard mask used to specify a group of filenames or memory variables. The * is used to specify one or more characters and the ? to specify a single character.

Toggle :

As a verb, to choose between an on or off state. As a noun, a value or setting that can be either on or off. A toggle is often represented using a logical value, with true (.T.) representing on, and false (.F.) representing off.

Verb :

The first word of a command that describes the action to perform.

See Also: Command