Variable declarations

    Variables can be declared as either being global, local, or static.
    Global variables are visible to all functions and on the command
    line, and are permanent.  Local variables are visible only within
    a single function or command sequence.  When the function or command
    sequence returns, the local variables are deleted.	Static variables
    are permanent like global variables, but are only visible within the
    same input file or function where they are defined.

    To declare one or more variables, the 'local', 'global', or 'static'
    keywords are used, followed by the desired list of variable names,
    separated by commas.  The definition is terminated with a semicolon.
    Examples of declarations are:

	    local	x, y, z;
	    global	fred;
	    local	foo, bar;
	    static	var1, var2, var3;

    Variables may have initializations applied to them.	 This is done
    by following the variable name by an equals sign and an expression.
    Global and local variables are initialized each time that control
    reaches them (e.g., at the entry to a function which contains them).
    Static variables are initialized once only, at the time that control
    first reaches them (but in future releases the time of initialization
    may change).  Unlike in C, expressions for static variables may
    contain function calls and refer to variables.  Examples of such
    initializations are:

	    local	a1 = 7, a2 = 3;
	    static	b = a1 + sin(a2);

    Within function declarations, all variables must be defined.
    But on the top level command line, assignments automatically define
    global variables as needed.	 For example, on the top level command
    line, the following defines the global variable x if it had not
    already been defined:

	    x = 7

    The static keyword may be used at the top level command level to
    define a variable which is only accessible interactively, or within
    functions defined interactively.

    Variables have no fixed type, thus there is no need or way to
    specify the types of variables as they are defined.	 Instead, the
    types of variables change as they are assigned to or are specified
    in special statements such as 'mat' and 'obj'.  When a variable is
    first defined using 'local', 'global', or 'static', it has the
    value of zero.

    If a procedure defines a local or static variable name which matches
    a global variable name, or has a parameter name which matches a
    global variable name, then the local variable or parameter takes
    precedence within that procedure, and the global variable is not
    directly accessible.

    The MAT and OBJ keywords may be used within a declaration statement
    in order to initially define variables as that type.  Initialization
    of these variables are also allowed.  Examples of such declarations
    are:

	    static mat table[3] = {5, 6, 7};
	    local obj point p1, p2;

    There are no pointers in the calculator language, thus all
    arguments to user-defined functions are normally passed by value.
    This is true even for matrices, strings, and lists.	 In order
    to circumvent this, the '&' operator is allowed before a variable
    when it is an argument to a function.  When this is done, the
    address of the variable is passed to the function instead of its
    value.  This is true no matter what the type of the variable is.
    This allows for fast calls of functions when the passed variable
    is huge (such as a large array).  However, the passed variable can
    then be changed by the function if the parameter is assigned into.
    The function being called does not need to know if the variable
    is being passed by value or by address.

    Built-in functions and object functions always accept their
    arguments as addresses, thus there is no need to use '&' when
    calling built-in functions.

## Copyright (C) 1999  Landon Curt Noll
##
## Calc is open software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
## the terms of the version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License
## as published by the Free Software Foundation.
##
## Calc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
## ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
## or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.	 See the GNU Lesser General
## Public License for more details.
##
## A copy of version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License is
## distributed with calc under the filename COPYING-LGPL.  You should have
## received a copy with calc; if not, write to Free Software Foundation, Inc.
## 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
##
## @(#) $Revision: 29.2 $
## @(#) $Id: variable,v 29.2 2000/06/07 14:02:33 chongo Exp $
## @(#) $Source: /usr/local/src/cmd/calc/help/RCS/variable,v $
##
## Under source code control:	1991/07/21 04:37:25
## File existed as early as:	1991
##
## chongo <was here> /\oo/\	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/
## Share and enjoy!  :-)	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/