Compiler language enhancement, edit 905: new compiler functional directive .EXTERN(expr), when used within a function or procedure, changes the normal scope search rules (first local, then module, then global) for the enclosed variable or expression, to consider only global variables.
For example:
map1 state$,S,20,"Ignorance"
...
Function Fn'Foo() as i4
map1 state$,S,.sizeof(.extern(state$)) ! S,20
state$ = "Bliss" ! assign local state$
print .extern(state$);" is ";state$ ! Ignorance is Bliss
EndFunction
In the above function, there are references to two variables named state$: one local to the function and one global. Normally, the scope rules would give the local variable precedence, even if ++pragma auto_extern or an explicit ++extern state$ directive was specified. The use of the .extern() functional directive allows the function to selectively and explicitly refer to the global version of the variable.
