External Methods

  An external method is a method which is defined in a different module from
  the one in which its class specification appears. This could be done for a
  number of reasons:

  .  To implement a method in a C module.

  .  To have a single method which applies to a number of different
     classes. In most cases, however, such methods would be better
     implemented in a parent class from which all classes requiring that
     method are inherited, directly or indirectly.

  .  To prevent a method from being linked in automatically. This is not a
     recommended practice. See the section Linking of Classes.

  External methods should be defined (using the METHOD (definition)
  command) in a module which does not contain a class specification. Since
  such methods then automatically have public scope, they should be given
  names that will not conflict with any other names in the application. To
  cause an external method to be linked into an application, you must
  include a Clipper EXTERNAL declaration with the name of the method
  either in the module containing that method's class specification, or in
  the module which invokes the method.