This document provides information on reflection and meta-programming in Ring programming language. Some key functions discussed include locals(), globals(), functions(), cfunctions(), islocal(), isglobal(), isfunction(), iscfunction(), packages(), ispackage(), classes(), isclass(), and packageclasses(). These functions allow programmers to get information about variables, functions, classes, and packages defined in their program at runtime. This enables dynamic programming features like modifying code during execution.

1. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
Func Test
see "Message from the test function!" + nl
Func Times nCount,F
for x = 1 to nCount
Call F()
next
Output:
Message from the test function!
Message from the test function!
Message from the test function!
Message from the test function!
Message from the test function!
40.4 Anonymous and Nested Functions
Anonymous Functions are functions without names that can be passed as parameters to other functions or stored in
variables.
Syntax:
Func [Parameters] { [statements] }
Example:
test( func x,y {
see "hello" + nl
see "Sum : " + (x+y) + nl
} )
new great { f1() }
times(3, func { see "hello world" + nl } )
func test x
call x(3,3)
see "wow!" + nl
func times n,x
for t=1 to n
call x()
next
Class great
func f1
f2( func { see "Message from f1" + nl } )
func f2 x
call x()
Output:
hello
Sum : 6
40.4. Anonymous and Nested Functions 285

2. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
wow!
Message from f1
hello world
hello world
hello world
Example:
Func Main
aList = [1,2,3,4]
Map (aList , func x {
return x*x
} )
see aList
aList = [4,9,14,25]
Map(aList, :myfilter )
see aList
aList = [11,12,13,14]
Map (aList , func x {
if x%2=0
return "even"
else
return "odd"
ok
})
see aList
Func myfilter x
if x = 9
return "True"
else
return "False"
ok
Func Map aList,cFunc
for x in aList
x = call cFunc(x)
next
Output:
1
4
9
16
False
True
False
False
odd
even
odd
even
40.5 Equality of functions
We can test if function = function or not using the ‘=’ or ‘!=’ operators
40.5. Equality of functions 286

3. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
Example:
f1 = func { see "hello" + nl }
f2 = func { see "how are you?" + nl }
f3 = f1
call f1()
call f2()
call f3()
see (f1 = f2) + nl
see (f2 = f3) + nl
see (f1 = f3) + nl
Output:
hello
how are you?
hello
0
0
1
40.5. Equality of functions 287

4. CHAPTER
FORTYONE
REFLECTION AND META-PROGRAMMING
Since the Ring programming language is a dynamic language, we can get answers about the program code and we can
modify our code during the runtime.
In this chapter we will learn about this and the available functions to use.
41.1 locals() Function
We can get a list of variables names in the current scope using the locals() function.
Syntax:
locals() --> a list contains the variables names in the current scope
Example:
test("hello")
func test cMsg
see cMsg + nl
x = 10
y = 20
z = 30
see locals()
Output:
hello
cmsg
x
y
z
41.2 globals() Function
We can get a list of variables names in the global scope using the globals() function.
Syntax:
288

5. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
globals() --> a list contains variables names in the global scope
Example:
x=10 y=20 z=30
test()
func test
see "message from test()" + nl +
"Global Variables:" + nl
see globals()
Output:
message from test()
Global Variables:
x
y
z
41.3 functions() Function
We can get a list of functions names written in the Ring language using the functions() function.
Syntax:
functions() --> a list contains functions names
Example:
see functions()
func f1
see "f1" + nl
func f2
see "f2" + nl
func f3
see "f3" + nl
Output:
f1
f2
f3
41.4 cfunctions() Function
We can get a list of functions names written in the C language using the cfunctions() function.
Syntax:
cfunctions() --> a list contains functions names
Example:
41.3. functions() Function 289

6. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
aList = cfunctions()
See "Count : " + len(aList) + nl
for x in aList
see x + "()" + nl
next
Output:
Count : 197
len()
add()
del()
get()
clock()
...
Note: The complete list is removed from the previous output.
41.5 islocal() Function
We can check if a variable is defined in the local scope or not using the islocal() function.
Syntax:
islocal(cVariableName) --> returns 1 if the variable is defined in the local scope
returns 0 if the variable is not defined in the local scope
Example:
test()
func test
x=10 y=20
see islocal("x") + nl +
islocal("y") + nl +
islocal("z") + nl
Output:
1
1
0
41.6 isglobal() Function
We can check if a variable is defined in the global scope or not using the isglobal() function.
Syntax:
isglobal(cVariableName) --> returns 1 if the variable is defined in the global scope
returns 0 if the variable is not defined in the global scope
Example:
41.5. islocal() Function 290

7. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
x=10 y=20
test()
func test
see isglobal("x") + nl +
isglobal("y") + nl +
isglobal("z") + nl
Output:
1
1
0
41.7 isfunction() Function
We can check if a Ring function is defined or not using the isfunction() function.
Syntax:
isfunction(cFunctionName) --> returns 1 if the Ring function is defined
returns 0 if the Ring function is not defined
Example:
see isfunction("f1") + nl +
isfunction("f2") + nl +
isfunction("f3") + nl
func f1
see "message from f1()" + nl
func f2
see "message from f2()" + nl
Output:
1
1
0
41.8 iscfunction() Function
We can check if a C function is defined or not using the iscfunction() function.
Syntax:
iscfunction(cFunctionName) --> returns 1 if the C function is defined
returns 0 if the C function is not defined
Example:
see iscfunction("len") + nl +
iscfunction("add") + nl +
iscfunction("test") + nl
41.7. isfunction() Function 291

8. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
Output:
1
1
0
41.9 packages() Function
We can get a list of packages names using the packages() function.
Syntax:
packages() --> a list contains packages names
Example:
See packages()
Package Package1
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package2
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package3
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package4
Class class1
Func f1
Output:
package1
package2
package3
package4
41.10 ispackage() Function
We can check if a package is defined or not using the ispackage() function.
Syntax:
ispackage(cPackageName) --> returns 1 if the Package is defined
returns 0 if the Package is not defined
Example:
See ispackage("package1") + nl +
ispackage("package4") + nl +
ispackage("package5") + nl +
ispackage("package3") + nl
41.9. packages() Function 292

9. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
Package Package1
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package2
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package3
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package4
Class class1
Func f1
Output:
1
1
0
1
41.11 classes() Function
We can get a list of classes names using the classes() function.
Syntax:
classes() --> a list contains classes names
Example:
See classes()
Class class1
Func f1
Class class2
Func f1
Class class3
Func f1
Output:
class1
class2
class3
41.12 isclass() Function
We can check if a class is defined or not using the isclass() function.
Syntax:
41.11. classes() Function 293

10. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.4
isclass(cClassName) --> returns 1 if the Class is defined
returns 0 if the Class is not defined
Example:
see isclass("class4") + nl +
isclass("class3") + nl +
isclass("class2") + nl
Class class1
func f1
class class2
func f1
class class3
func f1
Output:
0
1
1
41.13 packageclasses() Function
We can get a list of classes names inside a package using the packageclasses() function.
Syntax:
packageclasses(cPackageName) --> a list contains classes names inside the package
Example:
see "classes in Package1" + nl
see packageclasses("Package1")
see "classes in Package2" + nl
see packageclasses("Package2")
Package Package1
Class class1
Func f1
Package Package2
Class class1
Func f1
Class class2
Func f1
Class class3
func f1
Output:
classes in Package1
class1
classes in Package2
class1
41.13. packageclasses() Function 294