The alias modifier allows the programmer to specify a different name for a procedure or function. This is mostly useful for referring to this procedure from assembly language constructs or from another object file. As an example, consider the following program:
Program Aliases;
Procedure Printit;[public, alias:'DOIT'];
begin
WriteLn ('In Printit (alias : "DOIT")');
end;
Procedure myprint; external name 'DOIT';
begin
asm
call myprint
end;
end.
Remark The specified alias is inserted straight into the assembly code, thus it is case sensitive.
The alias modifier does not make the symbol public to other modules, unless the routine is also declared in the interface part of a unit, or the public modifier is used to force it as public. Consider the following:
unit testalias;
interface
procedure testroutine;
implementation
procedure testroutine;alias:'ARoutine';
begin
WriteLn('Hello world');
end;
end.
This will make the routine testroutine available publicly to external object files under the label name ARoutine.
Remark The alias directive is considered deprecated. Please use the public name directive. See section 14.9.17, page 832.