A-Shell Reference

Name

Description

Type/Category

ABS(x)

Returns absolute value of x.

Numeric

ACS(x)

Arccosine of x.

Trigonometric

.ARG_PASSED()

Indicates whether the specified argument was passed to the current SBX, function, or procedure.

Other / Misc

.ARGSIZ()

Returns the size of the specified argument passed to the current SBX, function, or procedure.

Other / Misc

.ARGTYP()

Returns the type of the specified argument passed to the current SBX, function, or procedure.

Other / Misc

.ARGTYP_READONLY()

Indicates whether the specified argument is read-only.

Other / Misc

ASC(a$)

Returns the numeric value of the first character of a$.

String

ASN(x)

Arcsine of x.

Trigonometric

ATN(x)

Arctangent of x.

Trigonometric

AUTOCAP$(a$)

Intelligently capitalizes a specified string.

String

CHR$(x)

Returns the OEM or Latin1 character of specified character.

String

COS(x)

Cosine of x.

Trigonometric

DATN(y,x)

Double arctangent.

Trigonometric

.DYNOFFSET()

Indirect deferred version.

Dynamic Structure

.DYNOFFSIZ()

Dynamic structure version of .OFFSIZ$().

Dynamic Structure

EDIT$()

Returns a modified version of a string based on specified options.

String

EOF()

Returns end-of-file status for a file channel.

File

ERF()

Returns error/status information about the last operation on an ISAM file.

File

ERR()

Used within an error trap to return information relating to a ASB error that has occurred.

Other / Misc

ERRMSG()

Returns the message associated with ASB error x.

Other / Misc

EXP(x)

Returns the constant e raised to the power x.

Numeric

.EXTENT()

Returns the "extent" of the specified array or collection.

Other / Misc

FACT(x)

Returns the factorial of x.

Numeric

FILL$()

Returns a string consisting of a string repeated until it reaches specified length.

String

FIX(x)

Returns the integer part of the floating point value x.

Numeric

.FSTAT()

Returns the file status for the last ISAM-A operation on a specified channel.

File

GETKEY()

Inputs and returns the ASCII decimal value of a single character.

Input

IFE(), IFE$()

Ternary function; returns one of two parameters based on value of first.

String / Numeric

IFELSE(), IFELSE$()

Ternary function; returns one of two parameters based on condition.

String / Numeric

INSTR()

Returns position of first occurrence of a specified string.

String

.INSTRR()

Same as INSTR() but works in reverse direction.

String

INT(x)

Returns the largest integer less than or equal to x.

Numeric

.ISBOUND(ds)

Returns TRUE if the specified variable is a DYNSTRUCT that has been bound to a defined structure.

Dynamic Structure

.ISDEF()

Indirect deferred version.

Dynamic Structure

.ISEMPTY()

Returns yes/no if the string or unformatted expression is "empty.

String

LCS$(a$)

Returns string a$ folded to lower case.

String

LEFT$(a$,x)

Returns leftmost x characters of string a$.

String

LEN(a$)

Returns length of string a$.

String / Numeric

.LINENO()

Returns current line number for sequential output files.

File

LOG(x)

Returns the natural (base e) log of x.

Numeric

LOG10(x)

Returns the decimal logarithm of x.

Numeric

LOOKUP()

Returns the size of the specified file in blocks.

File

LSTRIP$(a$)

Returns the string a$ with the leading blanks and TABs removed. .

String

MEM()

Returns information about available memory and resources.

Other / Misc

MID$(a$,x,y)

Returns substring of a$, starting in position x and extending y characters or until end.

String

NUMEXPR()

Treats expression as numeric.

String / Numeric

ODTIM$()

Outputs the specified date and/or time according to the formatting flags.

String

.OFFSET()

Returns the offset to the specified member variable within the specified structure.

Compiler

.OFFSIZ$()

Returns the combination of the specified structure member's offset and size.

Compiler

PAD$()

Returns string truncated, or padded with trailing blanks, to the specified length.

String

.PAGENO()

Returns current page number for sequential output files.

File

PYFUNC()

Provides a means to call an external function written in Python version 3.

Other / Misc

.RECNO()

Returns the current record number for the specified random, ISAM, or ISAM-A file channel.

File

.RECSIZ()

Returns the record size for the specified open file channel.

File

RIGHT$(a$,x)

Returns the rightmost x characters of string a$. Equivalent to a$[-x,-1].

String

RND(x)

Returns a random number.

Numeric

RND2()

Enhanced version of RND(x).

Numeric

RTRIM$(a$)

Returns string a$ with trailing spaces removed.

String

SGN(x)

Returns the sign of x: -1 if x < 0, 0 if x = 0, 1 if x > 0.

Numeric

SIN(x)

Sine of x.

Trigonometric

.SIZEOF()

Evaluates at compile-time to the size in bytes of the specified variable or defined structure.

Compiler

SPACE$(x)

Returns a string of x spaces.

String

SQR(x)

Returns the square root of x.

Numeric

SRND2()

Initializes the RND2() random number generator.

Numeric

STR$()

Converts a numeric value or expression to string. .

String

STREXPR$()

Treats the expression argument as a string.

String

STRIP$(a$)

Returns the string a$ with the trailing spaces and tabs removed.

String

TAN(x)

Tangent of x.

Trigonometric

TRIM$(a$)

Returns the string a$ with the leading spaces and tabs removed.

String

UCS$(a$)

Returns string a$ folded to upper case.

String

VAL()

Returns the decimal value of a string.

String / Numeric

.VALX()

Extended version of VAL.

String

XFUNC(), XFUNC$()

Executes an external SBX routine.

Other / Misc