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**#PREPARE**

//statements//

**#ENDPREPARE**

{{blk2blue.jpg|blk2blue.jpg}}

| **#PREPARE** | Begins a prompts symbol setup section. |
| //statements// | Template language statements to fix multi-valued symbols to the values needed to process the #PROMPT or #BUTTON statement preceding the #PREPARE. |
| **#ENDPREPARE** | Terminates the section. |

The **#PREPARE** structure contains Template language statements to fix multi-valued symbols to the values needed to process the #PROMPT or #BUTTON statements preceding the #PREPARE.

A #PREPARE section that precedes all the prompts is executed once, before the prompts are added to a window. In particular, if the prompts are displayed on the procedure properties screen, editing the window definition and returning does not execute the prepare code.

**Example:**

**#CODE (SetProperty, 'Set a property on a control')**

**#PREPARE**

**  #DECLARE(%Choices),MULTI**

**  #DECLARE(%NextLine)**

**  #FREE(%Choices)**

**  #OPEN('property.clw'),READ**

**  #READ(%NextLine)**

**  #LOOP WHILE(%NextLine <;> %Eof)**

**    #! Exclude PROPLIST: properties**

**    #IF (SUB(%NextLine, 1, 5) = 'PROP:')**

**      #ADD(%Choices, SUB(%NextLine, 1, INSTRING(' ',%NextLine)-1))**

**    #END**

**    #READ (%NextLine)**

**  #END**

**  #CLOSE,READ**

**#ENDPREPARE**

**#PROMPT('Control:', FROM(%Control)),%Target**

**#PROMPT('Property:', FROM(%Choices)),%Selection**

**#PROMPT('Value:', @s255),%TargetValue**

**%target{%Selection} = %TargetValue**