A compile-time value is a value that is evaluated at the time the program is compiled. (These values are "compiled into" the ESL program at compile time.) A compile-time value should be a literal, a constant, or an expression containing only literals and/or constants as operands. They can be (or contain) variables, but only the variable's initial value will be used.

Examples of statements that require compile-time values are:

 

screen size (Size + Size/3) (Size)

# The screen size requires two

# compile-time values; Size is a constant.

 

font "medium"

# Specifies default font for the program.

 

response to line "Login" from Host

# The match string for a response must be a compile-time

# value.