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| //label// | **FUNCTION** [**(**//parameter list//**)**] |
|  | //local data// |
|  | **CODE** |
|  | //statements// |
|  | **RETURN(**//value//**)** |

{{blk2blue.jpg|blk2blue.jpg}}

**FUNCTION** is a statement which once defined a PROCEDURE prototyped to return a value (referred to as a function in some other programming languages). The FUNCTION keyword has been replaced by the PROCEDURE statement and is now a synonym for PROCEDURE in all cases.

**Example:**

** PROGRAM**

** MAP**

**FullName ****FUNCTION****(STRING Last,STRING First,<;STRING Init>),STRING**

**                                  !Function prototype with parameters**

**DayString ****FUNCTION****,STRING         !Function prototype without parameters**

** END**

**TodayString STRING(3)**

** CODE**

** TodayString = DayString()        !Function call without parameters**

**                                  ! the () is required for a function**

**FullName ****FUNCTION****(STRING Last, STRING First,STRING Init)    !Full name function**

** CODE                             !Begin executable code section**

** IF OMITTED(3) OR Init =          !If no middle initial**

**  RETURN(CLIP(First) &amp;   &amp; Last)  ! return full name**

** ELSE                  !Otherwise**

**  RETURN(CLIP(First) &amp;   &amp; Init &amp; .  &amp; Last)                ! return full name**

** END    **

**DayString   ****FUNCTION****              !Day string function**

**ReturnString STRING(9),AUTO       !Uninitialized local stack variable**

** CODE                             !Begin executable code section**

** RETURN(CHOOSE(TODAY()%7)+1,Sun,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri,Sat))**

**See Also:**

[[procedure  define a procedure .htm|PROCEDURE]]