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Keyword Reference (Quick)

Quick lookup for all WFL reserved keywords.

→ For complete technical details: Reserved Keywords (Complete) →

Total: 181 keywords and literals

How to Use This Reference

  • ✗ = Cannot use as variable name (reserved in all contexts)
  • ✓ = Can use as variable name in certain contexts (see comprehensive reference for details)

Tip: When in doubt, add an underscore or use a different word. Example: file → filename, is → is_valid

Control Flow Keywords (24)

Keyword Description As Var?
break Exit loop early ✗
by Step amount in count loops ✗
check Start conditional ✗
continue Skip to next iteration ✗
count Count loop keyword ✓
downward Count loop direction ✗
each For each loop ✗
end Close block ✗
exit Exit loops (exit loop) or the program (exit program [with code number]) ✗
for For loop ✗
forever Infinite loop ✗
from Count loop start ✗
if Conditional ✗
in For each collection ✗
loop Loop reference ✗
otherwise Else / default clause ✗
repeat Loop construct ✗
reversed Reverse iteration ✓
route Dispatch on a value (match/switch) ✗
skip Continue (alias) ✗
then Conditional separator ✗
to Count loop end ✗
until Loop condition ✗
while Loop condition ✗

Declaration Keywords (18)

Keyword Description As Var?
action Define function ✗
as Binding/assignment ✗
called Action name ✓
change Modify variable ✓
constant Define constant property ✗
container Define class ✗
create Create resource ✓
defaults Default value ✓
define Define action/container ✗
extends Inheritance ✗
implements Interface ✗
interface Interface definition ✗
list List type ✓
map Map type ✓
needs Action parameters (alias) ✓
new Instantiate container ✓
property Container field ✗
store Create variable ✗

Operations Keywords (25)

Keyword Description As Var?
add Add to number/list ✗
append Append to file ✗
back Return keyword part (give back) ✓
call Call action ✗
clear Clear data ✗
close Close resource ✗
display Output text ✗
divide Division ✗
divided Division (multi-word: "divided by") ✗
execute Run command ✗
give Return keyword part ✓
kill Terminate process ✗
load Load module ✗
minus Subtraction ✗
modulo Modulo/remainder (word form of %) ✗
module Module reference ✗
multiply Multiplication ✗
plus Addition ✗
pop Remove from list ✗
push Add to list ✗
remove Remove item ✗
return Return value ✗
subtract Subtraction ✗
times Multiplication ✗
wait Async wait ✗

Comparison Keywords (14)

Keyword Description As Var?
above Greater than (alias) ✗
and Logical AND ✗
at Location preposition ✓
below Less than (alias) ✗
contains Contains check ✓
equal Equality ✗
greater Greater comparison ✗
is Comparison/equality ✗
least Minimum amount ✓
less Less comparison ✗
most Maximum amount ✓
not Logical NOT ✗
of Possession/function call ✗
or Logical OR ✗
same Equality (alias) ✗
than Comparison ✗
with Parameter separator/concatenation ✗

Pattern Matching Keywords (28)

Keyword Description As Var?
ahead Lookahead assertion ✗
any Match any character ✗
behind Lookbehind assertion ✗
between Range specification ✗
capture Capture group ✗
captured Captured text reference ✗
category Unicode category ✗
character Character class ✗
digit Digit class ✗
exactly Exact quantifier ✗
find Find pattern ✗
greedy Greedy matching ✗
lazy Lazy matching ✗
letter Letter class ✗
matches Pattern match check ✗
more Quantifier part ✗
one Quantifier (one or more) ✗
optional Optional quantifier ✗
pattern Pattern definition ✓
replace Pattern or text replacement ✗
script Unicode script ✗
split Split by pattern ✗
start Start anchor ✗
text Text type ✓
unicode Unicode support ✗
whitespace Whitespace class ✗
zero Zero quantifier ✗

File & I/O Keywords (16)

Keyword Description As Var?
append Append to file ✗
appending Append mode ✗
close Close file ✗
content File content ✗
delete Delete file ✗
directory Directory resource ✗
exists File exists check ✗
extension File extension ✓
extensions File extensions ✓
file File resource ✗
files File collection ✓
found File found check ✗
open Open file ✗
permission File permission ✗
denied Permission denied ✗
read Read operation ✓
recursively Recursive operation ✗
write Write operation ✗

Web & Network Keywords (17)

Keyword Description As Var?
accepting Accepting connections ✗
comes Request comes in ✗
connections Network connections ✗
current Current value/context ✗
formatted Formatted response ✗
handler Request handler ✗
header HTTP header ✗
listen Start server ✗
milliseconds Time unit ✗
on Event handler ✗
port Network port ✗
register Register handler ✗
request Web request ✗
respond Send response ✗
response Web response ✗
server Web server ✗
signal Server signal ✗
status Response status ✗
stop Stop server ✗
timeout Timeout duration ✗

Containers & OOP Keywords (17)

Keyword Description As Var?
constant Constant property ✗
container Class definition ✗
defaults Default value ✓
event Event definition ✗
extends Inheritance ✗
implements Interface implementation ✗
interface Interface definition ✗
must Interface requirement ✓
new Create instance ✓
on Event handler ✗
parent Parent reference ✓
private Private visibility ✗
property Container property ✗
public Public visibility ✗
requires Interface requirement ✗
static Static member ✗
trigger Fire event ✗

Error Handling Keywords (6)

Keyword Description As Var?
catch Error handler ✗
error Error reference ✗
finally Always-run cleanup clause ✗
try Error handling block ✗
when Specific error type; also a route arm head ✗

Process & Execution Keywords (11)

Keyword Description As Var?
arguments Command arguments ✗
command System command ✗
execute Run command ✗
into Output redirection ✗
kill Terminate process ✗
output Process output ✗
process Process resource ✗
running Running state ✗
shell Shell execution ✗
spawn Start process ✗
using Using clause ✗

Data & Types Keywords (7)

Keyword Description As Var?
data Data reference ✗
database Database resource ✗
date Date type ✗
list List type ✓
map Map type ✓
text Text type ✓
time Time type ✗
url URL type ✗

Boolean & Null Literals (7)

Keyword Type Value As Var?
yes Boolean true ✗
no Boolean false ✗
true Boolean true ✗
false Boolean false ✗
nothing Null null ✗
missing Null null ✗
undefined Null null ✗

Quick Usage Guide

Cannot Use as Variables (Most Keywords)

Wrong:

store is as 10             // ❌ ERROR: 'is' is reserved
store file as "data.txt"   // ❌ ERROR: 'file' is reserved
store add as 5             // ❌ ERROR: 'add' is reserved

Right:

store is_valid as 10       // ✅ Use underscore
store filename as "data.txt"  // ✅ Different name
store addition as 5        // ✅ Different name

Can Use in Certain Contexts (Contextual Keywords)

Example: count as a variable

// ✅ Outside count loops, 'count' can be a variable
store count as 0
change count to count plus 1
display count

// ❌ Inside count loops, 'count' is reserved
count from 1 to 10:
    display count  // 'count' is the loop variable here
end count

Example: list as a variable

// ✅ Outside type declarations, 'list' can be a variable
store list as "shopping_list"

// ❌ In type context, 'list' is reserved
create list called items

Example: query and connect (database statement shapes)

// ✅ 'query' works as a plain variable
store query as "SELECT 1"
store copy as query

// ❌ 'query <handle> with ...' after 'store ... as' is a database query
store rows as query db with "SELECT * FROM users"

// ❌ 'connect to database at ... as ...' is a statement
connect to database at "sqlite://app.db" as db

Common Scenarios

"Is X a keyword?" → Find it in the tables above

  • ✗ means never use as variable
  • ✓ means context-dependent (see comprehensive reference)

"Getting 'Expected identifier' error?" → Check if you used a reserved keyword

  • Add underscore: is → is_valid
  • Use different word: file → filename

"Can I use this contextual keyword?" → See the Comprehensive Reference

  • 24 contextual keywords CAN be used as variables in certain contexts
  • 5 appear contextual but are actually always reserved

"What about secured, certificate, key, redirecting, content_type, transaction, schema, changes, without following redirects?" → Not keywords

For HTTPS, certificate ... and key ... for "example.com" associates a pair with a DNS name using the existing for keyword. Join more named pairs with and certificate. See multiple-domain HTTPS. These words are recognized purely by position — inside listen / respond statements, in in transaction on db: / in transaction on db for schema changes: / end transaction, or as the and without following redirects clause in open url — and are never reserved. Use them as variable names freely. raise_error is a standard-library function, not a keyword. See Marker Words That Are Not Keywords.

Related Documentation

Previous: ← Language Specification | Next: Reserved Keywords (Complete) →