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Function Object

A Function object contains the definition of a function that you define in Siebel eScript. It returns the code that you configure this function to return. For more information, see Return Statement of a Function Object.

Format A

function funcName( [arg1 [, ..., argn]] )
{
     body
}

In format A you declare a function, and then call it in your code. It is the standard way to define a function.

Format B

var funcName = new Function([arg1 [, ..., argn,]] body );

In format B you explicitly create a function. If you use format B to create a function object, then Siebel CRM evaluates it each time it uses this function. This configuration is not as efficient as format A because Siebel CRM compiles a declared function only one time instead of evaluating it every time it uses the function.

Arguments

Table 103 describes the arguments for a function object.

Example 1

The following example uses format A to declare a function named AddTwoNumbers. It uses AddTwoNumbers as the name of the function:

function AddTwoNumbers (a, b)
{
   return (a + b);
}

Example 2

The following example uses format B to create a function named AddTwoNumbers. It uses the Function constructor to create a variable named AddTwoNumbers. The value of this variable is a reference to the function that the Function constructor creates:

AddTwoNumbers = new Function ("a", "b", "return (a + b)");

Length Property of a Function Object

The length property returns the number of arguments that the function expects.

Format

funcName.length

Table 104 describes the arguments for the length property.

Return Statement of a Function Object

The Return statement passes a value back to the function that called it.

Format

return value

Table 105 describes the arguments for the Return statement.

Usage

Siebel CRM does not run any code in a function that occurs after a Return statement.

If you define a return type for a custom function, then you must explicitly return a value of the same type that the function header specifies. All control paths must lead to a Return statement.

Example 1

The function in the following example returns a value that is equal to the number that Siebel CRM passes to it multiplied by 2, and then divided by 5:

function DoubleAndDivideBy5(a)
{
   return (a*2)/5
}

Example 2

The following example does the following work:

• Uses the value from the function in Example 1
• Calculates the following expression:

  n = (10 * 2) / 5 + (20 * 2) / 5

• Displays the value for n, which is 12:

  function myFunction()
  {
     var a = DoubleAndDivideBy5(10);
     var b = DoubleAndDivideBy5(20);
     TheApplication().RaiseErrorText(a + b);
  }