Using (Namespaces)keyword

Brings namespace symbols into the current scope

Syntax

Using identifier [, identifier [, ...] ]

Parameters

Name		Description
`identifier`		: The name of the `Namespace` that you want to use.

Description

The Using command allows all symbols from a given namespace to be accessed without the namespace's name prefix. Unlike C++ but like C#, the Namespace keyword is not needed after Using, because individual symbols cannot be inherited from a namespace.

Using is allowed in namespaces and procedures only (not in type or union or enum declarations).

Inheriting a whole namespace can save typing, but sometimes some meaning of the code can be lost, and conflicts with other symbols could be created.

Remarks

Version

Before fbc 1.09.0, if there is duplicated symbol in the global namespace (unnamed namespace), access to local symbol is captured by duplicated global symbol (in that case, full prefixing is required to access local symbol).

Differences from QB

QB had the Using keyword, but for other purposes. Namespaces did not exist in QB.

Example

Namespace Sample

    Type T

        x As Integer

    End Type

End Namespace



'' Just using the name T would not find the symbol,

'' because it is inside a namespace.

Dim SomeVariable As Sample.T



'' Now the whole namespace has been inherited into

'' the global namespace.

Using Sample



'' This statement is valid now, since T exists

'' without the "Sample." prefix.

Dim OtherVariable As T

Reference

Documented in KeyPgUsing.html