$USELIBRARY
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The $USELIBRARY metacommand is used to easily include a library from our dedicated QB64-PE Libraries Pack add-on into your code.
Syntax
- $USELIBRARY:'author/library'
Parameters
- IMPORTANT
-
- The parameter must be enclosed in single quotes and given as literal string, variables cannot be used here.
- Your input is checked while typing to ensure its validity, warnings (if any) will be displayed immediately in the IDE status area.
- The author/library designates the library to include by author / library name as organized in the QB64-PE Libraries Pack add-on.
- Easiest is to call the Library Explorer from the IDE's tools menu (or Ctrl-L), choose the library to use and simply copy the generated $USELIBRARY line there and paste it into your code.
Description
- Usually you have to manually include 3rd party libraries by placing the respective $INCLUDE lines into your code.
- In most cases that are two includes, one at the top of your code, another one at the bottom.
- In some rare cases a library could have another file, which must go into the middle of your code.
- Note that this traditional way of including libraries works unchanged as is and is still required to be used if:
- You don't have installed the QB64-PE Libraries Pack add-on.
- The library you wanna use is not (yet) in the Pack.
- You hang on to any old QB64-PE versions and for some reason don't wanna upgrade to QB64-PE v4.3.0 or up.
- If you otherwise use QB64-PE v4.3.0 or up and also have installed the QB64-PE Libraries Pack add-on, then you're ready to use the $USELIBRARY metacommand, well as far as the library of interest is in the Pack.
- It's just one line now and be done, QB64-PE will take care of the rest. Doesn't matter of how many files the library consists, QB64-PE knows which file must be included in which place in your program and will do so automatically.
- The best of all, you must not even type the $USELIBRARY command, just call the Library Explorer from the IDE's tools menu (or Ctrl-L), choose the library to use and simply copy the generated $USELIBRARY line there and paste it into your code.
- The command can be placed everywhere in your program, but of course it should be before the first use of the library's functions.
- $USELIBRARY can even be used inside other included files, e.g. a library could pull in other libraries it depends on.
Availability
-
none -
v4.3.0 -
-
yes -
yes -
yes
Examples
- Example
- Using the $USELIBRARY metacommand to include the INI-Manager and performing some action with the included library.
- Note
- This example needs the QB64-PE Libraries Pack add-on installed to work.
$IF VERSION < 4.3.0 THEN $ERROR "The Libraries Pack add-on needs at least QB64-PE v4.3.0" $END IF $USELIBRARY:'FellippeHeitor/IniManager' file$ = "./settings/config.ini" sect$ = "[IDE DISPLAY SETTINGS]" '---------------------------------------------------------------- 'syntax: var$ = Ini_ReadSetting(file$, "[section]", "") ' 'You can read all keys/values from a specific section by calling 'Ini_ReadSetting with an empty key$ value. '---------------------------------------------------------------- PRINT "Reading the QB64-PE config file and" PRINT COLOR 9 PRINT "fetch only section "; sect$; ":" DO a$ = Ini_ReadSetting$(file$, sect$, "") 'NOTE: If you would check dot values of the __ini TYPE inside a SUB or FUNCTION, ' then remember to explicitly do a SHARED __ini in the respective routine. IF __ini.code = 1 THEN PRINT Ini_GetInfo$: END '__ini.code = 1 -> File not found IF __ini.code = 10 THEN EXIT DO '__ini.code = 10 -> No more keys found IF __ini.code = 14 THEN PRINT Ini_GetInfo$: END '__ini.code = 14 -> Section not found COLOR 7 PRINT __ini.lastSection$; COLOR 15: PRINT __ini.lastKey$; COLOR 4: PRINT "="; COLOR 2: PRINT a$ LOOP COLOR 9 PRINT "End of section." END |
Explanation Although the INI-Manager library consists of two distinct files, we did not care to $INCLUDE them in our code. Instead we just told QB64-PE that we wanna use that library and it took care of correctly including it. |
See also