File: gawk.info,  Node: Qualified Names,  Next: Default Namespace,  Prev: Global Namespace,  Up: Namespaces

15.2 Qualified Names
====================

A "qualified name" is an identifier that includes a namespace name, the
namespace separator '::', and a "component" name.  For example, one
might have a function named 'posix::getpid()'.  Here, the namespace is
'posix' and the function name within the namespace (the component) is
'getpid()'.  The namespace and component names are separated by a
double-colon.  Only one such separator is allowed in a qualified name.

     NOTE: Unlike C++, the '::' is _not_ an operator.  No spaces are
     allowed between the namespace name, the '::', and the component
     name.

   You must use qualified names from one namespace to access variables
and functions in another.  This is especially important when using
variable names to index the special 'SYMTAB' array (*note Auto-set::),
and when making indirect function calls (*note Indirect Calls::).