The IMPORT Tag
Prev | Chapter 10. Mode Definition Syntax | Next

## The IMPORT Tag

The `IMPORT` tag, which must be placed inside a `RULES` tag, loads all rules defined in a given ruleset into the current ruleset; in other words, it has the same effect as copying and pasting the imported ruleset.

The only required attribute `DELEGATE` must be set to the name of a ruleset. To import a ruleset defined in the current mode, just specify its name. To import a ruleset defined in another mode, specify a name of the form ``mode`::`ruleset``. Note that the first (unnamed) ruleset in a mode is called “MAIN”.

One quirk is that the definition of the imported ruleset is not copied to the location of the `IMPORT` tag, but rather to the end of the containing ruleset. This has implications with rule-ordering; see the section called “Rule Ordering Requirements”.

Here is an example from the PHP mode, which extends the inline JavaScript highlighting to support embedded PHP:

       <RULES SET="JAVASCRIPT+PHP">

       <SPAN TYPE="MARKUP" DELEGATE="php::PHP">
           <BEGIN>&lt;?php</BEGIN>
           <END>?&gt;</END>
       </SPAN>

       <SPAN TYPE="MARKUP" DELEGATE="php::PHP">
           <BEGIN>&lt;?</BEGIN>
           <END>?&gt;</END>
       </SPAN>

       <SPAN TYPE="MARKUP" DELEGATE="php::PHP">
           <BEGIN>&lt;%=</BEGIN>
           <END>%&gt;</END>
       </SPAN>

       <IMPORT DELEGATE="javascript::MAIN"/>
    </RULES>

Prev | Up | Next
The SEQ_REGEXP Tag | Home | The KEYWORDS Tag