Calling a Subroutine

To call a subroutine you need to insert a CALLSUB command into your measurement routine to call an existing subroutine from the current measurement routine or a subroutine from an external measurement routine.

When a CALLSUB command executes, PC-DMIS executes all the commands in the subroutine. This includes even unmarked commands.

The called subroutine must have been created in a valid PC-DMIS version (versions 2015.1 through 2022.1).

You can insert this command by typing CALLSUB in the Edit window and then pressing the Tab key on your keyboard where you want the command to appear in the Edit window.

Once the command is inserted, you will need to specify the subroutine's name, its location if it is in an external measurement routine, as well as any values to pass to available arguments. See "Passing Arguments into a Subroutine" for examples of passing arguments.

Select the Insert | Flow Control Command | Call Sub option from the submenu. The Call Subroutine dialog box opens. See "Understanding the Call Subroutine Dialog Box" for information on this dialog box.

Call Subroutine dialog box
Click the Select Subroutine button. The Select Subroutine dialog box opens.

Select Subroutine dialog box
Select either the User directory check box or the Current directory check box, or both. If the measurement routine the subroutine is from resides in the directory specified to be searched for subroutines, select the User directory check box. If it is from the current directory, select the Current directory check box. PC-DMIS lists all the measurement routines available for selection.
Select the measurement routine that contains the subroutine you want. You will see all subroutines associated with the selected measurement routine appear in the Subroutine name box.
Select the subroutine you want to call.
Click the OK button. The subroutine information you are going to call will appear in the Name and File boxes of the Call Subroutine dialog box.
If you want to pass information into the subroutine, click the Add Argument button, and use the Argument Edit dialog box to define arguments and values to pass. See "Understanding the Argument Edit Dialog Box" for information on this dialog box. See "Passing Arguments into a Subroutine" for examples of passing arguments.
Click the OK button again. The CALLSUB command will appear in the selected location of the Edit window.

The Edit window command line syntax for calling a subroutine is this:

CS1 =CALLSUB/<Name>, <File>:<Arg1>,<Arg2>,

CS1 = the label ID given to the CALLSUB command.

<Name> = the name of the subroutine to be called.

<File> = the full path way to the measurement routine that contains the subroutine to call. If this field is blank, PC-DMIS will look in the current measurement routine for the subroutine.

<Arg1> = the value to be passed to the first argument in the subroutine. If this field is blank, the default value defined for the first argument in the subroutine will be used instead.

<Arg2> = the value to be passed to the second argument in the subroutine. If this field is blank, the default value defined for the second argument in the subroutine will be used instead. This syntax sample shows only two arguments. Other arguments can be passed if needed to your subroutine

In your CALLSUB command, you should keep a set of pointers to all of the objects made for the subroutine so that you can easily refer to them afterwards, using the subroutine's ID. For more information on pointers, see "Pointers" in the "Using Expressions and Variables" chapter.

CS1 =CALLSUB/GET_OPERATOR_INFO,D:\MEASROUTINES\V42SUBROUTINETEST.PRG:V1,V2,,

This example CALLSUB command, CS1, calls a subroutine named GET_OPERATOR_INFO located within the measurement routine V42SUBROUTINETEXT.PRG located in the D:\MEASROUTINES\ directory.

It passes two values - in this case the variables V1 and V2 - into the subroutine.