All template definitions, whether text or language-oriented, begin
with a language definition command (DEFINE LANGUAGE) that specifies
language characteristics. For example, to define a language, you use
the DEFINE LANGUAGE command to specify:
1. The name of your language (DEFINE LANGUAGE).
2. The file types (/FILE_TYPES) for the language.
3. The identifier characters to be used in token and
alias names (/IDENTIFER_CHARACTERS).
4. The punctuation and delimiter characters
(/PUNCTUATION_CHARACTERS).
5. The required and optional placeholder delimiters
(/OPT, /OPTL, /REQ, /REQL).
6. The initial text heading for the new file
(/INITIAL_STRING).
7. The indentation control for tokens and placeholders
(/TAB_INCREMENT).
Example:
DEFINE LANGUAGE MEMO -
/IDENTIFIER CHARACTERS = -
"abcd....XYZ0123456789" -
/INITIAL_STRING ={memo_template}" -
/FILE_TYPES = (.MEMO) -
/TAB_INCREMENT = 4 -
/OPT = ("[","]") -
/OPTL = ("[","]...") -
/PUNCTUATION_CHARACTERS = ".,':*+-/" -
/REQ = ("[","]") -
/REQL = ("[","]...") -
To define a placeholder, you use the DEFINE PLACEHOLDER command to
specify:
1. The name of your placeholder (DEFINE PLACEHOLDER).
2. The associated language (/LANGUAGE).
3. The type of placeholder: terminal, nonterminal, or menu
(/TYPE).
4. The description that you want displayed when the placeholder
is used in a menu or in the SHOW PLACEHOLDER command.
5. The end of the placeholder definition (END DEFINE).
Example:
.
.
DEFINE PLACEHOLDER subject_line -
/LANGUAGE = MEMO -
/TYPE = TERMINAL -
"Subject of the memo."
END DEFINE
To define a token you use the DEFINE TOKEN command to specify:
1. The name of your token (DEFINE TOKEN).
2. The associated language (/LANGUAGE).
3. The description that you want displayed when the token
is used in a menu or in the SHOW TOKEN command.
4. The end of the token definition (END DEFINE).
Example:
.
.
DEFINE TOKEN location -
/LANGUAGE = MEMO -
/DESCRIPTION = "Office location"
"LOC: URE-0096"
END DEFINE