SIMSCRIPT II.5 Programming Language

Programming Language Concepts
Multiple-subscripted variables, both rectangular and ragged, may be printed using the list statement.
Any row in an array that has not yet been reserved by a reserve statement, produces an
output of the form:
array name(i,j,...*) = ***unreserved***
If more than one array is mentioned in a list statement, they are printed successively in the order
in which they appear in the list.
As the spacing conventions must constrain the number of character positions allocated to a noninteger
number, those having very large or very small values are output in exponent or scaled scientific
notation. In this format, the value is represented as a normalized value between 1.0 and 0.1
scaled by a power of 10, which may be positive or negative. This exponent is usually indicated as
E+xx or E-xx, where xx represents the power of 10, immediately suffixed to the normalized value.
As a word of caution, the list statement can be misleading in respect of numeric precision. The
number of significant figures printed by a list statement cannot be chosen, as in a print statement,
to limit the apparent accuracy and thus reflect the true significance, but rather is selected to
allow a wide range of values to be output. Thus, some interpretation of the printed values may be
required.
2.30 Subprogram Variables
Thus far, all references to subprograms have used the defined subprogram name to identify the subprogram
to be executed. It is possible, however, to reference a subprogram indirectly, through the
use of a subprogram mode variable. Such a variable, like any other variable type, may be assigned
various values during execution of a program. The values that may be assigned are the referencing
values of routines within the program. As the only valid use of a subprogram variable is as a reference
within an indirect call, the only operations permitted are assignment and comparison operations,
and the only values that may be assigned or compared are other subprogram variables or
subprogram literal values, or a zero, indicating a null value. A variable is declared as a subprogram
mode in the usual way:
define variable list as a subprogram variable
A subprogram literal is formed by enclosing in single quotes the name of any routine used within
the program, or any defined library routine, with some exceptions mentioned later. A
subprogram variable, which has been assigned a value, may then be used in place of a routine
name in a normal call statement. The example below demonstrates the assignment and use of a
subprogram variable:
define RVAR as a subprogram variable
let RVAR = 'DATA.TRANSFORM'
.
.
call RVAR giving DATA(*) yielding VALUE
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