Include

ClassicUO • Basic

Include loads another source file before parsing and execution. Its shared functions and variables become available to the main script; it does not automatically start a procedure or thread.

Exact syntax

Include "fileName"

Parameters

• fileName — fileName: a nonempty single- or double-quoted file name. Relative and absolute paths are accepted. This is a literal path, not a variable or expression. Any extension is allowed; the content must be source text supported by this engine.

Returns

No return value: Include is a source preparation directive. Do not assign Include(...), or expect an ID, TRUE/FALSE or 1/0 from it. Included functions return their own values through RETURN.

Behavior

• Write Include on its own line outside SUB/FUNCTION. Search order: beside the including file, then its Include subfolder. Nested paths are relative to the current library, not the main script. Save the main file before using relative paths.
• Each full path is included once per preparation. A cycle A → B → A produces SC016. Path, access and syntax errors prevent execution before global initialization. Diagnostics and debugger locations retain the original file and line.
• Close string literals and SUB/FUNCTION in the same file that opens them. Redeclaring a global variable or constant produces SC017 before execution.
• The next launch reads changed library content; an already prepared or running script keeps its code snapshot. Shared source does not copy profile settings or launch other scripts.
• Each file may set Option Explicit before its own declarations; absent that directive it inherits the main file setting. Declarations share the same namespace; equal function names do not create a module automatically.
• Files use UTF-8 with BOM recognition. Limits per preparation: 128 files including the main file, 32 nesting levels, 16,777,216 source characters. Include text inside comments or strings does not load files.
• Each example below has its own folder. Save Main.bas and every displayed file using the exact names and subfolders. Ready-to-run sets are in API Manual/Examples/Basic.Include/1, /2 and /3. Run Main.bas rather than concatenating all the files.

Examples

1. Shared function

# Main.bas includes Common.bas and calls Add(4, 7). left and right are passed by value; Add returns their sum and Main returns Integer 11. Common.bas does not start by itself.
Option Explicit On
Include "Common.bas"
SUB Main()
    RETURN Add(4, 7)
END SUB

Parameter and execution notes:

Main.bas includes Common.bas and calls Add(4, 7). left and right are passed by value; Add returns their sum and Main returns Integer 11. Common.bas does not start by itself.

Common.bas

Option Explicit On
FUNCTION Add(ByVal left, ByVal right)
    RETURN left + right
END FUNCTION

2. Nested library

# Main.bas includes lib/Route.bas, which includes Math.bas from its own lib folder. Distance(-3, 5) passes dx=-3 and dy=5 to Manhattan; Abs removes the signs and the sum is Integer 8. This arithmetic example does not move the character.
Option Explicit On
Include "lib/Route.bas"
SUB Main()
    RETURN Distance(-3, 5)
END SUB

Parameter and execution notes:

Main.bas includes lib/Route.bas, which includes Math.bas from its own lib folder. Distance(-3, 5) passes dx=-3 and dy=5 to Manhattan; Abs removes the signs and the sum is Integer 8. This arithmetic example does not move the character.

lib/Route.bas

Option Explicit On
Include "Math.bas"
FUNCTION Distance(ByVal dx, ByVal dy)
    RETURN Manhattan(dx, dy)
END FUNCTION

lib/Math.bas

Option Explicit On
FUNCTION Manhattan(ByVal dx, ByVal dy)
    RETURN Abs(dx) + Abs(dy)
END FUNCTION

3. Repeated inclusion

# Common.bas and ./Common.bas identify one file, so its CONST and function are declared once. SharedValue=7; GetShared() returns 7 and Main multiplies it by 2, returning Integer 14. Both files use Option Explicit On.
Option Explicit On
Include "Common.bas"
Include "./Common.bas"
SUB Main()
    RETURN GetShared() * 2
END SUB

Parameter and execution notes:

Common.bas and ./Common.bas identify one file, so its CONST and function are declared once. SharedValue=7; GetShared() returns 7 and Main multiplies it by 2, returning Integer 14. Both files use Option Explicit On.

Common.bas

Option Explicit On
CONST SharedValue = 7
FUNCTION GetShared()
    RETURN SharedValue
END FUNCTION

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Basic