STACK Variable

The $STACK variable (abbreviated $ST) allows one to check the current state of the call stack.

Command

$STACK(LEVEL [, MODE])
$ST(LEVEL [, MODE])

Usage

If called with LEVEL set to 0, $STACK will return information about the way GTM was invoked. If called with LEVEL set to -1, $STACK will return the number of levels for which $STACK is defined. If called with LEVEL greater than 0, but not greater than $STACK(-1), $STACK will return a string describing the command that created that level of the call stack – either “DO”, “XECUTE” or “$$” for an extrinsic function.

The MODE parameter is optional. It can change the value given by the variable to other, perhaps more useful, information. You can set it to either:

• “MCODE” – This will return the line of code with which the given level of the stack was called.
• “PLACE” – The address of the line of code with which the given level of the stack was called, or, if it was called by a string, the @ symbol.
• “ECODE” – This will return the error code that was added at the associated level of the call stack, or, if no such code exists, an empty string.

Examples

I don’t have any examples yet. The $STACK variable seems to do the most when your code is long and convoluted, so I can’t just include terminal commands and output – I need to construct a file that makes it all work.