System SourceMeter® Instrument Reference Manual  Section 6: 
 
2600BS-901-01 Rev. C / August 2016  6-15 
 
To execute a function, substitute appropriate values for parameterX and insert them into a message 
formatted as: 
myFunction(valueForParameterX, valueForParameterY) 
Where valueForParameterX and valueForParameterY represent the values to be passed to 
the function call for the given parameters. 
The output you get from these examples will vary depending on the data format settings of the 
instrument. 
 
Example 1 
 
function add_two(first_value, 
second_value) 
   return first_value + second_value 
end 
Creates a variable named add_two that 
has a variable type of function. 
Output: 
7 
 
 
Example 2 
 
add_three = function(first_value, 
   second_value, third_value) 
   return first_value + second_value + 
      third_value 
end 
print(add_three(3, 4, 5)) 
Creates a variable named add_three 
that has a variable type of function. 
Output: 
12 
 
 
Example 3 
 
function sum_diff_ratio(first_value, 
   second_value) 
   psum = first_value + second_value 
   pdif = first_value - second_value 
   prat = first_value / second_value 
   return psum, pdif, prat 
end 
sum, diff, ratio = sum_diff_ratio(2, 3) 
print(sum) 
print(diff) 
Returns multiple parameters (sum, 
difference, and ratio of the two numbers 
passed to it). 
Output: 
5 
-1 
0.66666666666667 
 
Create functions using scripts 
You can use scripts to define functions. Scripts that define a function are like any other script: They 
do not cause any action to be performed on the instrument until they are executed. The global 
variable of the function does not exist until the script that created the function is executed. 
A script can consist of one or more functions. Once a script has been run, the computer can call 
functions that are in the script directly.