ThelopWordClass

Last edit December 8, 2013

Any word from the ThelopLanguage works in one or more ThelopWordClasses. Currently, there are four words classes: Objects, Actions, Properties and Modifiers:

Objects (O) are the main building blocks of the ThelopLanguage. Examples are "File", "Text", "Window" or "Rect". Any ThelopName must start with an object word (e.g. FileOpen or WindowSetTitel). Usually, English nouns are used as object words, sometimes in an abbreviated form (e.g. "Rect" instead of "Rectangle"). It is common that objects are parts (properties) of other objects, so many object words work also as properties (e.g. WindowGetRect). Sometimes, they even work as modifiers (e.g. "File" in "TextFileOpen").
Actions (A) tell us about the operations that are performed on the objects. Examples are: "Create", "Clear", "Cpy" or "Get". Any THELOP function name must contain at least one action words (e.g. WindowOpenTitleRect or RectGetWidthHeight). Usually, English verbs are used as action words. Action words never work in other ThelopWordClasses.
Properties (P) are considered parts of objects. Examples are: "Color", "Width" or "Size". They are accessed by the special words "Get, "Set" or "Ret" (e.g. FileRetSize, WindowGetClientRect or RectGetWidthHeight). Properties sometimes work as modifiers (e.g. "Width" in WindowGetBorderWidth) but only rarely as objects (e.g. "Color" in ColorSetSaturation).
Modifiers (M) change the meaning of words or names. They are perhaps the most interesting words in the ThelopLanguage. They may change the meaning of actions (e.g. "Last" in StrFindChrLast), they may eliminate the need for an explicit object reference (e.g. compare WindowClose(w) and WindowCloseAll()) or indicate the data type or unit used (e.g. StrRetDouble or RectSetWidthInch). There are even global modifiers that influence the meaning of the function as a whole. A modifier is always appended to the object, property or name it influences (e.g. "Cm" in CarRetHeightCm() and not CarRetCmHeight()).

More examples can be found on the ThelopWordExamples page.

THELOP function names are built from ThelopWords according to ThelopNamePatterns. These patterns are written using the single character abbreviations of the ThelopWordClasses (e.g. the pattern "OAO" correspond to FileCpyString(filename,string), image=ImageCreateFile(filename) or PrinterDrawImage(x,y,image)).

CategoryThelop