Parameter Prescan
Sometimes it is useful to "macro process" a parameter before using it in the replacement part. This is particularly important when using certain built-in macros.
For prescan to occur, the parameter must be specified in the template with two dollar signs instead of one, and the actual parameter must begin with an "at" sign (@), which is stripped off.
An example of prescan follows:
{define; typeit $$s; {type $s}}
{define; line; this is text}
For example, the string:
typeit line
is replaced by:
line
However, the entry:
typeit @line
results in:
this is text
For another example of the use of prescan, see
Special Macros.