ReadyBASIC Language Reference: GOSUB Command

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GOSUB Command

Summary

Transfers execution to a subroutine.

Syntax

```
GOSUB LineNumber
```
```
GOSUB LineLabel
```

Remarks and Examples

Note: Subroutines and the GOSUB and RETURN statements are "deprecated" -- they are included for compatibility with old BASIC programs, but they are considered out-of-date. When writing a new program, you should consider using procedures (see the PROCEDURE command) and functions (see the FUNCTION command) instead, as these offer stronger program structure, better clarity through more explicit naming, and much less danger of unintentional errors and side-effects.

A subroutine is a section of code that is identified by a line number or line label, and which ends with a RETURN statement.

To call a subroutine, specify the GOSUB statement, followed by the line number or line label of the subroutine. The GOSUB statement will cause the program execution to jump to the line number or line label, and commands will be executed until a RETURN statement is encountered, at which point execution will transfer back to the statement immediately following the GOSUB statement.

The following is an example of a subroutine being defined and called in a line-numbered program:

100 PRINT "Hello"
110 Name$ = "Alice"
120 GOSUB 2000
130 Name$ = "Bob"
140 GOSUB 2000
150 END
2000 REM This is a subroutine
2010 PRINT "Hi"
2020 PRINT "Your name is "; Name$
2030 GOSUB 3000
2040 RETURN
3000 REM This is another subroutine
3010 PRINT "Tralala"
3020 RETURN

Running this program gives the following output:

Hi
Your name is Alice
Tralala
Hi
Your name is Bob
Tralala

The following is an example of a similar subroutine being defined in a program that uses line labels instead of line numbers:

Main:
    Name$ = "Alice"
    GOSUB SayMyName
    Name$ = "Bob"
    GOSUB SayMyName
    END

SayMyName:
    PRINT "Hi"
    PRINT "Your name is "; Name$
    GOSUB SayTralala
    RETURN

SayTralala:
    PRINT "Tralala"
    RETURN

Running this program gives the following output:

Hi
Your name is Alice
Tralala
Hi
Your name is Bob
Tralala

Subroutines do not offer any formal support for parameters, though global variables can be used to similar effect as the examples above illustrate.

Caution must be taken when using variables in subroutines, because it is easy to unintentionally modify values being used elsewhere in the program. For example:

100 X% = 1
110 WHILE X% <= 5
120     GOSUB 500
130     X% = X% + 1
140 WEND
150 END
500 PRINT X%
510 X% = 100
520 RETURN

This program gives the result:

The WHILE-WEND loop may appear to be counting from 1 to 5, but the modification of X% in the subroutine causes the loop to end because the new value of 100 is greater than the loop end limit of 5.

Procedures and functions can define local variables (using the LOCAL statement), which can avoid such problems.

See also: FUNCTION, LOCAL, PROCEDURE, RETURN