epp(3erl)						     Erlang Module Definition							 epp(3erl)

NAME

       epp - An Erlang Code Preprocessor

DESCRIPTION

       The  Erlang code preprocessor includes functions which are used by compile to preprocess macros and include files before the actual parsing
       takes place.

EXPORTS

       open(FileName, IncludePath) -> {ok,Epp} | {error, ErrorDescriptor}
       open(FileName, IncludePath, PredefMacros) -> {ok,Epp} | {error, ErrorDescriptor}

	      Types  FileName = atom() | string()
		     IncludePath = [DirectoryName]
		     DirectoryName = atom() | string()
		     PredefMacros = [{atom(),term()}]
		     Epp = pid() -- handle to the epp server
		     ErrorDescriptor = term()

	      Opens a file for preprocessing.

       close(Epp) -> ok

	      Types  Epp = pid() -- handle to the epp server

	      Closes the preprocessing of a file.

       parse_erl_form(Epp) -> {ok, AbsForm} | {eof, Line} | {error, ErrorInfo}

	      Types  Epp = pid()
		     AbsForm = term()
		     Line = integer()
		     ErrorInfo = see separate description below.

	      Returns the next Erlang form from the opened Erlang source file. The tuple {eof, Line} is returned at end-of-file.  The  first  form
	      corresponds to an implicit attribute -file(File,1). , where File is the name of the file.

       parse_file(FileName,IncludePath,PredefMacro) -> {ok,[Form]} | {error,OpenError}

	      Types  FileName = atom() | string()
		     IncludePath = [DirectoryName]
		     DirectoryName = atom() | string()
		     PredefMacros = [{atom(),term()}]
		     Form = term() -- same as returned by erl_parse:parse_form

	      Preprocesses and parses an Erlang source file. Note that the tuple {eof, Line} returned at end-of-file is included as a "form".

ERROR INFORMATION

       The ErrorInfo mentioned above is the standard ErrorInfo structure which is returned from all IO modules. It has the following format:

	   {ErrorLine, Module, ErrorDescriptor}

       A string which describes the error is obtained with the following call:

	   Module:format_error(ErrorDescriptor)

SEE ALSO

       erl_parse(3erl)

Ericsson AB							   stdlib 1.17.3							 epp(3erl)