To allow the nesting of for each child loop statements, a string variable must be associated with the loop. ESL sets the specified string variable with the name (identifier) of the child object. The identifier, which contains the full ancestry of the child object, can then be used with action statements or built-in functions. Using recursive calls to subroutines, it is possible to access all objects within a parent, which is useful when complex compound windows are used.

 

For example:

 

subroutine SaveValues(string: Parent) is

string Child

       Text

 

for each child Child of Parent loop

    if (type of Child = “entry field”) then #look for entry fields

        copy text of Child to Text          #save the text of the

        make Child parameter Text           #field in the parameter

    else

        call SaveValues(Child)              #check for grand children

    end if

end loop

 

The loop progresses through the child objects defined within the parent object in the order they were added or defined.