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##
#W  global.g                    GAP library                      Steve Linton
##
#H  @(#)$Id: global.g,v 4.10 2002/04/15 10:04:42 sal Exp $
##
#Y  Copyright (C)  1996,  Lehrstuhl D fuer Mathematik,  RWTH Aachen,  Germany
#Y  (C) 1998 School Math and Comp. Sci., University of St.  Andrews, Scotland
#Y  Copyright (C) 2002 The GAP Group
##
##
##  This file contains the first stage of the "public" interface to
##  the global variable namespace, allowing globals to be accessed and
##  set by name.
##
##  This is defined in two stages. This file defines "capitalized" versions
##  of the functions which do not use Info or other niceties and are not
##  set up with InstallGlobalFunction. This can thus be read early, and
##  the functions it defines can be used to define functions used to read
##  more of the library.
##
##  The global.gd and global.gi stages will install the really "public"
##  functions and can be read later (once Info, DeclareGlobalFunction,
##  etc are there)
##
Revision.global_g :=
    "@(#)$Id: global.g,v 4.10 2002/04/15 10:04:42 sal Exp $";


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##
#F  VALUE_GLOBAL ( <name> ) .  . . . . . . . . . .access a global by its name
## 
##  VALUE_GLOBAL ( <name> ) returns the value currently bound to the global
##  variable named by the string <name>. An error is raised if no value
##  is currently bound
##

VALUE_GLOBAL := VAL_GVAR;


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##
#F  ISBOUND_GLOBAL ( <name> ) .  . . . check if a global is bound by its name
## 
##  ISBOUND_GLOBAL ( <name> ) returns true if a value currently bound
##  to the global variable named by the string <name> and false otherwise
##

ISBOUND_GLOBAL := ISB_GVAR;


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##
#F  UNBIND_GLOBAL ( <name> ) .  . . . . . . . . .unbind a global  by its name
## 
##  UNBIND_GLOBAL ( <name> ) removes any value currently bound
##  to the global variable named by the string <name>. Nothing is returned.
##
##  The global variable named by <name> must be writable,
##  otherwise an error is raised.
##

UNBIND_GLOBAL := UNB_GVAR;

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##
#F  IS_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL ( <name> ) determine if a global variable is read-only
##
##  IS_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL ( <name> ) returns true if the global variable
##  named by the string <name> is read-only and false otherwise (the default)
##

IS_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL := IsReadOnlyGVar;

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##
#F  MAKE_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL ( <name> ) . . . . make a global variable read-only
##
##  MAKE_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL ( <name> ) marks the global variable named
##  by the string <name> as read-only. 
##

MAKE_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL := MakeReadOnlyGVar;

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##
#F  MAKE_READ_WRITE_GLOBAL ( <name> ) . . .make a global variable read-write
##
##  MAKE_READ_WRITE_GLOBAL ( <name> ) marks the global variable named
##  by the string <name> as read-write
##

MAKE_READ_WRITE_GLOBAL := MakeReadWriteGVar;

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##
#V  REREADING                set to true inside a Reread, changes much
##                           behaviour
##

REREADING := false;
MAKE_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL("REREADING");


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##
#F  BIND_GLOBAL ( <name>, <val> ) . . . . . .sets a global variable 'safely'
##
##  BIND_GLOBAL ( <name>, <val> ) sets the global variable named by
##  the string <name> to the value <val>, provided it was previously
##  unbound, and makes it read-only. This is intended to be the normal
##  way to create and set "official" global variable (such as
##  Operations and Categories)
##
  
BIND_GLOBAL := function( name, val)
    if not REREADING and ISBOUND_GLOBAL( name ) then
        if (IS_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL(name)) then
            Error("BIND_GLOBAL: variable `", name, "' must be unbound");
        else
            Print("#W BIND_GLOBAL: variable `", name,"' already has a value\n");
        fi;
    fi;
    ASS_GVAR(name, val);
    MAKE_READ_ONLY_GLOBAL(name);
    return val;
end;

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##
#E  global.g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ends here



