Syntax

Usage: syntax {format}

The statement "syntax" analyzes the command line parameters of the current macro. This statement can only be called within a macro. Command line parameters that match with one of the format specifi- cations are removed from the list of command line parameters and assigned to a new local variable. Possible format items are:

 name=[=]type[=default]   named parameter with the given name,
                                type, and, optionally, default

 name{|name}                literal option with the name, or
                                one out of a mutually exclusive list
                                of names

 **                             allows for additional parameters that
                                do not match with one of the formats

 *                              same as "**" except that additional
                                parameters must not contain an "=" sign

A format must not contain blanks. A name may contain a "*" to indicate how much it can be abbreviated. By default, all unambiguous abbreviations are allowed. The optional second "=" sign after a name indicates that a parameter that matches name but doesnt contain an "=" sign is not recognized, otherwise (with one "=" sign after name, an error occurs in this situation). Parameters that appear before "*" or "**" can be specified as positional parameters without giving their name; parameters following "*" or "**" must always be given with their name. A type can be one of the following:

 *                             anything
 [limit'[=]]@i[[=]limit]  integer expression in given range
 [limit'[=]]@r[[=]limit]  real expression in given range
 name{|name}               list of mutually exclusive literals
 @fextension                 a filename that will be extended with
                               the given extension, if necessary
                               (extension can also be $name to 
                               denote the value of a preceding 
                               parameter)