Macros and Include Files

Macros and Include Files

ObjectScript also supports macros, which define substitutions. The definition can either be a value, an entire line of code, or (with the ##continue directive) multiple lines. You use macros to ensure consistency. For example:

 #define StringMacro "Hello, World!"

 write $$$StringMacro

You can define macros in a routine and use them later in the same routine. More commonly, you define them in a central place. To do this, you create and use include files. An include file defines macros and can include other include files. For details, see Using Macros and Include Files.

The phrase include file is used for historical reasons. In InterSystems IRIS, an include file is not actually a separate standalone file in the operating system; instead it is a unit of code stored within an InterSystems IRIS database.