# What is the difference between #Call & #Insert, apart from NoIndent they look identical **URL:** \ **Category:** questions\ **Tags:** templates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2022, 10:33am UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149 "2022-05-25T10:33:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/anon23294430/32/3829_2.png) [@anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/u/anon23294430)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 10:33am UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/1 "2022-05-25T10:33:29Z")
So when looking at the help documentation for #Call and #Insert, apart from #Insert having the extra NoIndent attribute, they look identical, but they are not and the help docs dont elucidate their differences. So does anyone know what their differences are? TIA ---
**Author:** ![BoxSoft](https://clarionhub.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BoxSoft](https://clarionhub.com/u/BoxSoft)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/2 "2022-05-25T13:35:35Z")
#INSERT was the original, and always injected code at the current indent position. That’s why it has the NOINDENT option. #CALL was added later, and is essentially the same as #INSERT,NOINDENT. So why was #CALL added? It’s considered a _convention_ now that #INSERT should be used to denote the generation of code by the referenced #GROUP, whereas #CALL is used only for execution of template code. I find that distinction helpful, as I want the intent of my code to be as readable and clear as possible. Regardless, you can use both as you see fit. ---
**Author:** ![anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/anon23294430/32/3829_2.png) [@anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/u/anon23294430)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 2:47pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/3 "2022-05-25T14:47:41Z")
> [@BoxSoft](#): > > #INSERT should be used to denote the generation of code by the referenced #GROUP, whereas #CALL is used only for execution of template code. Isnt that supposed to be the other way around? So I cant use #Call inside template prompts but I can use #inserts #sheet,Hscroll #Tab(‘&1 Overview’) #Display(‘’) #Button(‘Overview’),At(,175,12) #Insert(%grpOverview) #EndButton #Button(‘Explorer Tools’),At(,175,12) #Insert(%grpExplorerTools) #EndButton #EndTab #Tab(‘&2 Include Files’) #Insert(%grpTab2includefiles) #EndTab #Tab(‘&3 Inside Map Include Filenames’) #Insert(%grpTab3InsideMapIncludeFiles) #EndTab #Tab(‘&4 Inside Map Module Prototypes’) #Insert(%grpTab4InsideMapModulePrototypes) #EndTab #EndSheet If I swap the above #inserts with #Call the appgen complains. ---
**Author:** ![BoxSoft](https://clarionhub.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BoxSoft](https://clarionhub.com/u/BoxSoft)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/5 "2022-05-25T15:07:09Z")
As I mentioned, #INSERT existed first, so it’s used more often than it _needs_ to be. I still use #INSERT within the #PROMPT area, as you’re suggesting. In a sense, I consider it as “generation of template code”, rather than “generation of Clarion code”. 😉 Where I use #CALL is when I want to execute some template logic, and the called logic will not directly generate any code. Don’t forget that there’s a third way to invoke a group–by using it in a template expression: ``` #SET(%MyVar, %MyGroup()) ``` Alternatively, you could do that same thing using #CALL: ``` #CALL(%MyGroup), %MyVar ``` If your group had parameters, the alternate syntaxes vary accordingly: ``` #SET(%MyVar, %MyGroup(%Parm1, %Parm2)) #CALL(%MyGroup, %Parm1, %Parm2), %MyVar ``` I don’t believe you can use #INSERT to capture a return value. ---
**Author:** ![anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/anon23294430/32/3829_2.png) [@anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/u/anon23294430)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/6 "2022-05-25T15:17:13Z")
> [@BoxSoft](#): > > Don’t forget that there’s a third way to invoke a group–by using it in a template expression: > > ```auto > #SET(%MyVar, %MyGroup()) > > ``` and a sort of fourth way because it is an expression is inside ,WHERE() `#Tab('&1 Include Files'), Where(%DTR(%Tabs,'#Tab(''&1 Include Files'')'))` where %DTR is a #group that takes the parameters and sends them off to debugview and Returns %true ``` #Procedure(ClarionProc,'Clarion Procedure') #Restrict,Where(%grpFirstProcedureIsTrue() ) #Call(%DT,%T,'#Restrict,Where(%grpFirstProcedureIsTrue()['& %grpFirstProcedureIsTrue() &'] )') #Accept #Call(%DT,%T,'#Accept') #EndRestrict #Call(%DT,%T,'#EndRestrict') ``` In the above example the %DT group does not Return %True but the #Group %grpFirstProcedureIsTrue() does Return %True > [@BoxSoft](#): > > I don’t believe you can use #INSERT to capture a return value. I’ve been having to try code to see what is complained about and not, in the same way a Fuzzer would do this. ---
**Author:** ![CarlBarnes](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/carlbarnes/32/1859_2.png) [@CarlBarnes](https://clarionhub.com/u/CarlBarnes)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/7 "2022-05-25T18:03:50Z")
> [@BoxSoft](#): > > I don’t believe you can use #INSERT to capture a return value. The Help shows #INSERT can return a value, but I searched the shipping templates and did not find any. I would guess it calls the same template library “thing” as #CALL so would work identically except NONDENT default. Another way to get a kind of return value is passed by address \*%Var ---
**Author:** ![anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/anon23294430/32/3829_2.png) [@anon23294430](https://clarionhub.com/u/anon23294430)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 4:21am UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-call-insert-apart-from-noindent-they-look-identical/5149/8 "2022-05-26T04:21:18Z")
> [@CarlBarnes](#): > > Another way to get a kind of return value is passed by address \*%Var And when a CSV approach perhaps encapsulated with double quotes is employed for clarity to a single parameter Cstring passed by address, one starts to question if the single parameter is a single parameter for other parts of the template language like #RunDll. ``` #Group(%grpParseEquate,*%pIO1,*%pIO2) #! This calls a procedure which passes a csv string back which is parsed into the two vars from #! "WhenAccepted( %grpParseEquate(%EquateName,%EquateValue)" #! #Declare(%csvString) #Declare(%commaPos) #Declare(%csvStringLen) #Set(%csvString,clip(%pIO1) &','& clip(%pIO2)) #RUNDLL('myrundll.dll', 'PROC3@FRsc',%csvString), release, win32 #Set(%commaPos,instring(',',%csvString,1,1) ) #Set(%csvStringLen,Len(Clip(%csvString)) ) #Set(%pIO1,Sub(%csvString,1,%commaPos-1) ) #Set(%pIO2,Sub(%csvString,%commaPos+1,%csvString - (%commaPos + 1) ) ) ```