^$ROUTINE

nspace

This optional parameter allows you to specify a global in another namespace by using an extended SSVN reference. You can specify the namespace name either explicitly, as a quoted string literal or as a variable, or by specifying an implied namespace. Namespace names are not case-sensitive. You can use either bracket syntax ["USER"] or environment syntax |"USER"|. No spaces are allowed before or after the nspace delimiters.

You can test whether a namespace is defined by using the following method:

   WRITE ##class(%SYS.Namespace).Exists("USER"),!  ; an existing namespace
   WRITE ##class(%SYS.Namespace).Exists("LOSER")   ; a non-existent namespace

You can use the $NAMESPACE special variable to determine the current namespace. The preferred way to change the current namespace is NEW $NAMESPACE then SET $NAMESPACE="nspacename".

routine_name

An expression that evaluates to a string containing the name of a routine. A routine name must be unique within the first 255 characters; routine names longer than 220 characters should be avoided.

As an Argument to $DATA

$DATA(^$|nspace|ROUTINE(routine_name))

^$ROUTINE as an argument to $DATA returns an integer value that specifies whether the routine_name exists as a node in ^$ROUTINE. The integer values that $DATA can return are shown in the following table.

The following example tests for the existence of a routine in the default namespace:

   XECUTE "ZREMOVE"
   XECUTE "ZSAVE ROU"
   WRITE !,$DATA(^$ROUTINE("^ROU"))
   XECUTE "ZSAVE ROU"
   WRITE !,$DATA(^$ROUTINE("^ROU"))

As an Argument to $ORDER

$ORDER(^$|nspace|ROUTINE( routine_name),direction)

^$ROUTINE as an argument to $ORDER returns the next or previous routine name in collating sequence to the routine name you specify. If no such routine name exists as a node in ^$ROUTINE, $ORDER returns a null string.

The direction argument specifies whether to return the next or the previous routine name. If you do not provide a direction argument, Caché returns the next routine name in collating sequence to the one you specify. For further details, refer to the $ORDER function.

The following subroutine searches the USER namespace and stores the routine names in a local array named ROUTINE.

  SET rname=""
  FOR I=1:1 { 
      SET rname=$ORDER(^$|"USER"|ROUTINE(rname)) 
      QUIT:rname=""
      SET ROUTINE(I)=rname
      WRITE !,"Routine name: ",rname
  }
  WRITE !,"All routines stored"
  QUIT

As an Argument to $QUERY

$QUERY(^$|nspace|ROUTINE(routine_name))

^$ROUTINE as an argument to $QUERY returns the next routine name in collating sequence to the routine name you specify. The specified routine name does not have to exist. If there is no routine name later in the collating sequence, $QUERY(^$ROUTINE) returns a null string.

In the following example, two $QUERY functions return the next routine after the specified routine name in the USER namespace.

  SET rname=""
  WRITE !,"1st routine: ",$QUERY(^$|"USER"|ROUTINE(rname))
  SET rname="%m"
  WRITE !,"1st ",rname, " routine: ",$QUERY(^$|"USER"|ROUTINE(rname))
   QUIT