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+# Language Reference <a id="language-reference"></a>
+
+## Object Definition <a id="object-definition"></a>
+
+Icinga 2 features an object-based configuration format. You can define new
+objects using the `object` keyword:
+
+```
+object Host "host1.example.org" {
+ display_name = "host1"
+
+ address = "192.168.0.1"
+ address6 = "2001:db8:1234::42"
+}
+```
+
+In general you need to write each statement on a new line. Expressions started
+with `{`, `(` and `[` extend until the matching closing character and can be broken
+up into multiple lines.
+
+Alternatively you can write multiple statements on a single line by separating
+them with a semicolon:
+
+```
+object Host "host1.example.org" {
+ display_name = "host1"
+
+ address = "192.168.0.1"; address6 = "2001:db8:1234::42"
+}
+```
+
+Each object is uniquely identified by its type (`Host`) and name
+(`host1.example.org`). Some types have composite names, e.g. the
+`Service` type which uses the `host_name` attribute and the name
+you specified to generate its object name.
+
+Exclamation marks (!) are not permitted in object names.
+
+Objects can contain a comma-separated list of property
+declarations. Instead of commas semicolons may also be used.
+The following data types are available for property values:
+
+All objects have at least the following attributes:
+
+Attribute | Description
+---------------------|-----------------------------
+name | The name of the object. This attribute can be modified in the object definition to override the name specified with the `object` directive.
+type | The type of the object.
+
+## Expressions <a id="expressions"></a>
+
+The following expressions can be used on the right-hand side of assignments.
+
+### Numeric Literals <a id="numeric-literals"></a>
+
+A floating-point number.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+27.3
+```
+
+### Duration Literals <a id="duration-literals"></a>
+
+Similar to floating-point numbers except for the fact that they support
+suffixes to help with specifying time durations.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+2.5m
+```
+
+Supported suffixes include ms (milliseconds), s (seconds), m (minutes),
+h (hours) and d (days).
+
+Duration literals are converted to seconds by the config parser and
+are treated like numeric literals.
+
+### String Literals <a id="string-literals"></a>
+
+A string.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+"Hello World!"
+```
+
+#### String Literals Escape Sequences <a id="string-literals-escape-sequences"></a>
+
+Certain characters need to be escaped. The following escape sequences
+are supported:
+
+Character | Escape sequence
+--------------------------|------------------------------------
+" | \\"
+\\ | \\\\
+&lt;TAB&gt; | \\t
+&lt;CARRIAGE-RETURN&gt; | \\r
+&lt;LINE-FEED&gt; | \\n
+&lt;BEL&gt; | \\b
+&lt;FORM-FEED&gt; | \\f
+
+In addition to these pre-defined escape sequences you can specify
+arbitrary ASCII characters using the backslash character (\\) followed
+by an ASCII character in octal encoding.
+
+### Multi-line String Literals <a id="multiline-string-literals"></a>
+
+Strings spanning multiple lines can be specified by enclosing them in
+{{{ and }}}.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+{{{This
+is
+a multi-line
+string.}}}
+```
+
+Unlike in ordinary strings special characters do not have to be escaped
+in multi-line string literals.
+
+### Boolean Literals <a id="boolean-literals"></a>
+
+The keywords `true` and `false` are used to denote truth values.
+
+### Null Value <a id="null-value"></a>
+
+The `null` keyword can be used to specify an empty value.
+
+### Dictionary <a id="dictionary"></a>
+
+An unordered list of key-value pairs. Keys must be unique and are
+compared in a case-sensitive manner.
+
+Individual key-value pairs must either be comma-separated or on separate lines.
+The comma after the last key-value pair is optional.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+{
+ address = "192.168.0.1"
+ port = 443
+}
+```
+
+Identifiers may not contain certain characters (e.g. space) or start
+with certain characters (e.g. digits). If you want to use a dictionary
+key that is not a valid identifier, you can enclose the key in double
+quotes.
+
+### Array <a id="array"></a>
+
+An ordered list of values.
+
+Individual array elements must be comma-separated.
+The comma after the last element is optional.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+[ "hello", 42 ]
+```
+
+An array may simultaneously contain values of different types, such as
+strings and numbers.
+
+### Operators <a id="expression-operators"></a>
+
+The following operators are supported in expressions. The operators are sorted by descending precedence.
+
+Operator | Precedence | Examples (Result) | Description
+---------|------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------
+`()` | 1 | (3 + 3) * 5 | Groups sub-expressions
+`()` | 1 | Math.random() | Calls a function
+`[]` | 1 | a[3] | Array subscript
+`.` | 1 | a.b | Element access
+`!` | 2 | !"Hello" (false), !false (true) | Logical negation of the operand
+`~` | 2 | ~true (false) | Bitwise negation of the operand
+`+` | 2 | +3 | Unary plus
+`-` | 2 | -3 | Unary minus
+`&` | 2 | &var (reference to 'var') | Reference operator
+`*` | 2 | *var | Indirection operator
+`*` | 3 | 5m * 10 (3000) | Multiplies two numbers
+`/` | 3 | 5m / 5 (60) | Divides two numbers
+`%` | 3 | 17 % 12 (5) | Remainder after division
+`+` | 4 | 1 + 3 (4), "hello " + "world" ("hello world") | Adds two numbers; concatenates strings
+`-` | 4 | 3 - 1 (2) | Subtracts two numbers
+`<<` | 5 | 4 << 8 (1024) | Left shift
+`>>` | 5 | 1024 >> 4 (64) | Right shift
+`<` | 6 | 3 < 5 (true) | Less than
+`>` | 6 | 3 > 5 (false) | Greater than
+`<=` | 6 | 3 <= 3 (true) | Less than or equal
+`>=` | 6 | 3 >= 3 (true) | Greater than or equal
+`in` | 7 | "foo" in [ "foo", "bar" ] (true) | Element contained in array
+`!in` | 7 | "foo" !in [ "bar", "baz" ] (true) | Element not contained in array
+`==` | 8 | "hello" == "hello" (true), 3 == 5 (false) | Equal to
+`!=` | 8 | "hello" != "world" (true), 3 != 3 (false) | Not equal to
+`&` | 9 | 7 & 3 (3) | Binary AND
+`^` | 10 | 17 ^ 12 (29) | Bitwise XOR
+<code>&#124;</code> | 11 | 2 &#124; 3 (3) | Binary OR
+`&&` | 12 | true && false (false), 3 && 7 (7), 0 && 7 (0) | Logical AND
+<code>&#124;&#124;</code> | 13 | true &#124;&#124; false (true), 0 &#124;&#124; 7 (7)| Logical OR
+`=` | 14 | a = 3 | Assignment
+`=>` | 15 | x => x * x (function with arg x) | Lambda, for loop
+`?` | 16 | (2 * 3 > 5) ? 1 : 0 (1) | [Ternary operator](17-language-reference.md#conditional-statements-ternary)
+
+### References <a id="references"></a>
+
+A reference to a value can be obtained using the `&` operator. The `*` operator can be used
+to dereference a reference:
+
+```
+var value = "Hello!"
+var p = &value /* p refers to value */
+*p = "Hi!"
+log(value) // Prints "Hi!" because the variable was changed
+```
+
+### Namespaces <a id="namespaces"></a>
+
+Namespaces can be used to organize variables and functions. They are used to avoid name conflicts. The `namespace`
+keyword is used to create a new namespace:
+
+```
+namespace Utils {
+ function calculate() {
+ return 2 + 2
+ }
+}
+```
+
+The namespace is made available as a global variable which has the namespace's name (e.g. `Utils`):
+
+```
+Utils.calculate()
+```
+
+The `using` keyword can be used to make all attributes in a namespace available to a script without having to
+explicitly specify the namespace's name for each access:
+
+```
+using Utils
+calculate()
+```
+
+The `using` keyword only has an effect for the current file and only for code that follows the keyword:
+
+```
+calculate() // This will not work.
+using Utils
+```
+
+The following namespaces are automatically imported as if by using the `using` keyword:
+
+* System
+* System.Configuration
+* Types
+* Icinga
+
+### Function Calls <a id="function-calls"></a>
+
+Functions can be called using the `()` operator:
+
+```
+const MyGroups = [ "test1", "test" ]
+
+{
+ check_interval = len(MyGroups) * 1m
+}
+```
+
+A list of available functions is available in the [Library Reference](18-library-reference.md#library-reference) chapter.
+
+## Assignments <a id="dictionary-operators"></a>
+
+In addition to the `=` operator shown above a number of other operators
+to manipulate attributes are supported. Here's a list of all
+available operators (the outermost `{` `}` stand for a local variable scope):
+
+### Operator = <a id="operator-assignment"></a>
+
+Sets an attribute to the specified value.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 5
+ a = 7
+}
+```
+
+In this example `a` has the value `7` after both instructions are executed.
+
+### Operator += <a id="operator-additive-assignment"></a>
+
+The += operator is a shortcut. The following expression:
+
+```
+{
+ a = [ "hello" ]
+ a += [ "world" ]
+}
+```
+
+is equivalent to:
+
+```
+{
+ a = [ "hello" ]
+ a = a + [ "world" ]
+}
+```
+
+### Operator -= <a id="operator-substractive-assignment"></a>
+
+The -= operator is a shortcut. The following expression:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 10
+ a -= 5
+}
+```
+
+is equivalent to:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 10
+ a = a - 5
+}
+```
+
+### Operator \*= <a id="operator-multiply-assignment"></a>
+
+The *= operator is a shortcut. The following expression:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 60
+ a *= 5
+}
+```
+
+is equivalent to:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 60
+ a = a * 5
+}
+```
+
+### Operator /= <a id="operator-dividing-assignment"></a>
+
+The /= operator is a shortcut. The following expression:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 300
+ a /= 5
+}
+```
+
+is equivalent to:
+
+```
+{
+ a = 300
+ a = a / 5
+}
+```
+
+## Indexer <a id="indexer"></a>
+
+The indexer syntax provides a convenient way to set dictionary elements.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+{
+ hello.key = "world"
+}
+```
+
+Example (alternative syntax):
+
+```
+{
+ hello["key"] = "world"
+}
+```
+
+This is equivalent to writing:
+
+```
+{
+ hello += {
+ key = "world"
+ }
+}
+```
+
+If the `hello` attribute does not already have a value, it is automatically initialized to an empty dictionary.
+
+## Template Imports <a id="template-imports"></a>
+
+Objects can import attributes from other objects.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+template Host "default-host" {
+ vars.colour = "red"
+}
+
+template Host "test-host" {
+ import "default-host"
+
+ vars.colour = "blue"
+}
+
+object Host "localhost" {
+ import "test-host"
+
+ address = "127.0.0.1"
+ address6 = "::1"
+}
+```
+
+The `default-host` and `test-host` objects are marked as templates
+using the `template` keyword. Unlike ordinary objects templates are not
+instantiated at run-time. Parent objects do not necessarily have to be
+templates, however in general they are.
+
+The `vars` dictionary for the `localhost` object contains all three
+custom variables and the custom variable `colour` has the value `"blue"`.
+
+Parent objects are resolved in the order they're specified using the
+`import` keyword.
+
+Default templates which are automatically imported into all object definitions
+can be specified using the `default` keyword:
+
+```
+template CheckCommand "plugin-check-command" default {
+ // ...
+}
+```
+
+Default templates are imported before any other user-specified statement in an
+object definition is evaluated.
+
+If there are multiple default templates the order in which they are imported
+is unspecified.
+
+## Constants <a id="constants"></a>
+
+Global constants can be set using the `const` keyword:
+
+```
+const VarName = "some value"
+```
+
+Once defined a constant can be accessed from any file. Constants cannot be changed
+once they are set.
+
+> **Tip**
+>
+> Best practice is to manage constants in the [constants.conf](04-configuration.md#constants-conf) file.
+
+### Icinga 2 Specific Constants <a id="icinga-constants"></a>
+
+Icinga 2 provides a number of special global constants. These include directory paths, global configuration
+and runtime parameters for the application version and (build) platform.
+
+#### Directory Path Constants <a id="icinga-constants-director-path"></a>
+
+Constant | Description
+--------------------|-------------------
+ConfigDir |**Read-only.** Main configuration directory. Usually set to `/etc/icinga2`.
+DataDir |**Read-only.** Runtime data for the Icinga daemon. Usually set to `/var/lib/icinga2`.
+LogDir |**Read-only.** Logfiles from the daemon. Usually set to `/var/log/icinga2`.
+CacheDir |**Read-only.** Cached status information of the daemon. Usually set to `/var/cache/icinga2`.
+SpoolDir |**Read-only.** Spool directory for certain data outputs. Usually set to `/var/spool/icinga2`.
+InitRunDir |**Read-only.** Directory for PID files and sockets in daemon mode. Usually set to `/run/icinga2`.
+ZonesDir |**Read-only.** Contains the path of the zones.d directory. Defaults to `ConfigDir + "/zones.d"`.
+
+#### Global Configuration Constants <a id="icinga-constants-global-config"></a>
+
+Constant | Description
+--------------------|-------------------
+Vars |**Read-write.** Contains a dictionary with global custom variables. Not set by default.
+NodeName |**Read-write.** Contains the cluster node name. Set to the local hostname by default.
+ReloadTimeout |**Read-write.** Defines the reload timeout for child processes. Defaults to `300s`.
+Environment |**Read-write.** The name of the Icinga environment. Included in the SNI host name for outbound connections. Not set by default.
+RunAsUser |**Read-write.** Defines the user the Icinga 2 daemon is running as. Set in the Icinga 2 sysconfig.
+RunAsGroup |**Read-write.** Defines the group the Icinga 2 daemon is running as. Set in the Icinga 2 sysconfig.
+MaxConcurrentChecks |**Read-write.** The number of max checks run simultaneously. Defaults to `512`.
+ApiBindHost |**Read-write.** Overrides the default value for the ApiListener `bind_host` attribute. Defaults to `::` if IPv6 is supported by the operating system and to `0.0.0.0` otherwise.
+ApiBindPort |**Read-write.** Overrides the default value for the ApiListener `bind_port` attribute. Not set by default.
+
+#### Application Runtime Constants <a id="icinga-constants-application-runtime"></a>
+
+Constant | Description
+--------------------|-------------------
+PlatformName |**Read-only.** The name of the operating system, e.g. `Ubuntu`.
+PlatformVersion |**Read-only.** The version of the operating system, e.g. `14.04.3 LTS`.
+PlatformKernel |**Read-only.** The name of the operating system kernel, e.g. `Linux`.
+PlatformKernelVersion|**Read-only.** The version of the operating system kernel, e.g. `3.13.0-63-generic`.
+BuildCompilerName |**Read-only.** The name of the compiler Icinga was built with, e.g. `Clang`.
+BuildCompilerVersion|**Read-only.** The version of the compiler Icinga was built with, e.g. `7.3.0.7030031`.
+BuildHostName |**Read-only.** The name of the host Icinga was built on, e.g. `acheron`.
+ApplicationVersion |**Read-only.** The application version, e.g. `2.9.0`.
+
+#### Additional Constants <a id="icinga-constants-additional"></a>
+
+Writable constants can be specified on the CLI using the `--define/-D` parameter.
+
+> **Note for v2.10+**
+>
+> Default paths which include `/etc` and `/var` as base directory continue to work
+> based on the `SysconfDir` and `LocalStateDir` constants respectively.
+
+In addition to that, the constants below are used to define specific file paths. You should never need
+to change them, as they are pre-compiled based on the constants above.
+
+Variable |Description
+--------------------|-------------------
+StatePath |**Read-write.** Contains the path of the Icinga 2 state file. Defaults to `DataDir + "/icinga2.state"`.
+ObjectsPath |**Read-write.** Contains the path of the Icinga 2 objects file. Defaults to `CacheDir + "/icinga2.debug"`.
+PidPath |**Read-write.** Contains the path of the Icinga 2 PID file. Defaults to `InitRunDir + "/icinga2.pid"`.
+PkgDataDir |**Read-only.** Contains the path of the package data directory. Defaults to `PrefixDir + "/share/icinga2"`.
+
+The constants below have been used until Icinga v2.10, and are still intact. You don't need them
+for future builds and configuration based on the newly available constants above.
+
+Variable |Description
+--------------------|-------------------
+PrefixDir |**Read-only.** Contains the installation prefix that was specified with `cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX`. `Defaults to "/usr/local"`.
+SysconfDir |**Read-only.** Contains the path of the sysconf directory. Defaults to `PrefixDir + "/etc"`.
+LocalStateDir |**Read-only.** Contains the path of the local state directory. Defaults to `PrefixDir + "/var"`.
+RunDir |**Read-only.** Contains the path of the run directory. Defaults to `LocalStateDir + "/run"`.
+
+#### Advanced Constants and Variables <a id="icinga-constants-advanced"></a>
+
+Advanced runtime constants. Please only use them if advised by support or developers.
+
+Variable | Description
+---------------------------|-------------------
+EventEngine |**Read-write.** The name of the socket event engine, can be `poll` or `epoll`. The epoll interface is only supported on Linux.
+AttachDebugger |**Read-write.** Whether to attach a debugger when Icinga 2 crashes. Defaults to `false`.
+
+Advanced sysconfig environment variables, defined in `/etc/sysconfig/icinga2` (RHEL/SLES) or `/etc/default/icinga2` (Debian/Ubuntu).
+
+Variable | Description
+---------------------------|-------------------
+ICINGA2\_RLIMIT\_FILES |**Read-write.** Defines the resource limit for `RLIMIT_NOFILE` that should be set at start-up. Value cannot be set lower than the default `16 * 1024`. 0 disables the setting. Set in Icinga 2 sysconfig.
+ICINGA2\_RLIMIT\_PROCESSES |**Read-write.** Defines the resource limit for `RLIMIT_NPROC` that should be set at start-up. Value cannot be set lower than the default `16 * 1024`. 0 disables the setting. Set in Icinga 2 sysconfig.
+ICINGA2\_RLIMIT\_STACK |**Read-write.** Defines the resource limit for `RLIMIT_STACK` that should be set at start-up. Value cannot be set lower than the default `256 * 1024`. 0 disables the setting. Set in Icinga 2 sysconfig.
+
+#### Debug Constants and Variables <a id="icinga-constants-debug"></a>
+
+These constants are only available in debug builds for developers and help with tracing messages and attaching to debuggers.
+
+Variable | Description
+---------------------------|-------------------
+Internal.DebugJsonRpc | **Read-write.** Setting this to `1` prints the raw JSON-RPC message to STDOUT.
+Internal.DebugWorkerDelay | **Read-write.** Delays the main worker process by X seconds after forked from the umbrella process. This helps with attaching LLDB which cannot follow child forks like GDB.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+$ icinga2 daemon -DInternal.DebugWorkerDelay=120
+Closed FD 6 which we inherited from our parent process.
+[2020-01-29 12:22:33 +0100] information/cli: Icinga application loader (version: v2.11.0-477-gfe8701d77; debug)
+[2020-01-29 12:22:33 +0100] information/RunWorker: DEBUG: Current PID: 85253. Sleeping for 120 seconds to allow lldb/gdb -p <PID> attachment.
+
+$ lldb -p 85253
+(lldb) b icinga::Checkable::ProcessCheckResult
+(lldb) c
+```
+
+
+## Apply <a id="apply"></a>
+
+The `apply` keyword can be used to create new objects which are associated with
+another group of objects.
+
+```
+apply Service "ping" to Host {
+ import "generic-service"
+
+ check_command = "ping4"
+
+ assign where host.name == "localhost"
+}
+```
+
+In this example the `assign where` condition is a boolean expression which is
+evaluated for all objects of type `Host` and a new service with name "ping"
+is created for each matching host. [Expression operators](17-language-reference.md#expression-operators)
+may be used in `assign where` conditions.
+
+The `to` keyword and the target type may be omitted if there is only one target
+type, e.g. for the `Service` type.
+
+Depending on the object type used in the `apply` expression additional local
+variables may be available for use in the `where` condition:
+
+Source Type | Target Type | Variables
+------------------|-------------|--------------
+Service | Host | host
+Dependency | Host | host
+Dependency | Service | host, service
+Notification | Host | host
+Notification | Service | host, service
+ScheduledDowntime | Host | host
+ScheduledDowntime | Service | host, service
+
+Any valid config attribute can be accessed using the `host` and `service`
+variables. For example, `host.address` would return the value of the host's
+"address" attribute -- or null if that attribute isn't set.
+
+More usage examples are documented in the [monitoring basics](03-monitoring-basics.md#using-apply-expressions)
+chapter.
+
+## Apply For <a id="apply-for"></a>
+
+[Apply](17-language-reference.md#apply) rules can be extended with the
+[for loop](17-language-reference.md#for-loops) keyword.
+
+```
+apply Service "prefix-" for (key => value in host.vars.dictionary) to Host {
+ import "generic-service"
+
+ check_command = "ping4"
+ vars.host_value = value
+}
+```
+
+Any valid config attribute can be accessed using the `host` and `service`
+variables. The attribute must be of the Array or Dictionary type. In this example
+`host.vars.dictionary` is of the Dictionary type which needs a key-value-pair
+as iterator.
+
+In this example all generated service object names consist of `prefix-` and
+the value of the `key` iterator. The prefix string can be omitted if not required.
+
+The `key` and `value` variables can be used for object attribute assignment, e.g. for
+setting the `check_command` attribute or custom variables as command parameters.
+
+`apply for` rules are first evaluated against all objects matching the `for loop` list
+and afterwards the `assign where` and `ignore where` conditions are evaluated.
+
+It is not necessary to check attributes referenced in the `for loop` expression
+for their existance using an additional `assign where` condition.
+
+More usage examples are documented in the [monitoring basics](03-monitoring-basics.md#using-apply-for)
+chapter.
+
+## Group Assign <a id="group-assign"></a>
+
+Group objects can be assigned to specific member objects using the `assign where`
+and `ignore where` conditions.
+
+```
+object HostGroup "linux-servers" {
+ display_name = "Linux Servers"
+
+ assign where host.vars.os == "Linux"
+}
+```
+
+In this example the `assign where` condition is a boolean expression which is evaluated
+for all objects of the type `Host`. Each matching host is added as member to the host group
+with the name "linux-servers". Membership exclusion can be controlled using the `ignore where`
+condition. [Expression operators](17-language-reference.md#expression-operators) may be used in `assign where` and
+`ignore where` conditions.
+
+Source Type | Variables
+------------------|--------------
+HostGroup | host
+ServiceGroup | host, service
+UserGroup | user
+
+
+## Boolean Values <a id="boolean-values"></a>
+
+The `assign where`, `ignore where`, `if` and `while` statements, the `!` operator as
+well as the `bool()` function convert their arguments to a boolean value based on the
+following rules:
+
+Description | Example Value | Boolean Value
+---------------------|-------------------|--------------
+Empty value | null | false
+Zero | 0 | false
+Non-zero integer | -23945 | true
+Empty string | "" | false
+Non-empty string | "Hello" | true
+Empty array | [] | false
+Non-empty array | [ "Hello" ] | true
+Empty dictionary | {} | false
+Non-empty dictionary | { key = "value" } | true
+
+For a list of supported expression operators for `assign where` and `ignore where`
+statements, see [expression operators](17-language-reference.md#expression-operators).
+
+## Comments <a id="comments"></a>
+
+The Icinga 2 configuration format supports C/C++-style and shell-style comments.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+/*
+ This is a comment.
+ */
+object Host "localhost" {
+ check_interval = 30 // this is also a comment.
+ retry_interval = 15 # yet another comment
+}
+```
+
+## Includes <a id="includes"></a>
+
+Other configuration files can be included using the `include` directive.
+Paths must be relative to the configuration file that contains the
+`include` directive.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+include "some/other/file.conf"
+include "conf.d/*.conf"
+```
+
+Wildcard includes are not recursive.
+
+Icinga also supports include search paths similar to how they work in a
+C/C++ compiler:
+
+```
+include <itl>
+```
+
+Note the use of angle brackets instead of double quotes. This causes the
+config compiler to search the include search paths for the specified
+file. By default $PREFIX/share/icinga2/include is included in the list of search
+paths. Additional include search paths can be added using
+[command-line options](11-cli-commands.md#config-include-path).
+
+Wildcards are not permitted when using angle brackets.
+
+## Recursive Includes <a id="recursive-includes"></a>
+
+The `include_recursive` directive can be used to recursively include all
+files in a directory which match a certain pattern.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+include_recursive "conf.d", "*.conf"
+include_recursive "templates"
+```
+
+The first parameter specifies the directory from which files should be
+recursively included.
+
+The file names need to match the pattern given in the second parameter.
+When no pattern is specified the default pattern "*.conf" is used.
+
+## Zone Includes <a id="zone-includes"></a>
+
+> **Note**
+>
+> This is an internal functionality consumed by Icinga itself.
+>
+> The preferred way for users managing configuration files in
+> zones is to use the [cluster config sync](06-distributed-monitoring.md#distributed-monitoring-top-down-config-sync)
+> or [REST API config packages](12-icinga2-api.md#icinga2-api-config-management).
+
+The `include_zones` recursively includes all subdirectories for the
+given path.
+
+In addition to that it sets the `zone` attribute for all objects created
+in these subdirectories to the name of the subdirectory.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+include_zones "etc", "zones.d", "*.conf"
+include_zones "puppet", "puppet-zones"
+```
+
+The first parameter specifies a tag name for this directive. Each `include_zones`
+invocation should use a unique tag name. When copying the zones' configuration
+files Icinga uses the tag name as the name for the destination directory in
+`/var/lib/icinga2/api/config`.
+
+The second parameter specifies the directory which contains the subdirectories.
+
+The file names need to match the pattern given in the third parameter.
+When no pattern is specified the default pattern "*.conf" is used.
+
+## Library directive <a id="library"></a>
+
+The `library` directive was used to manually load additional
+libraries. Starting with version 2.9 it is no longer necessary to explicitly load
+libraries and this directive has no effect.
+
+## Functions <a id="functions"></a>
+
+Functions can be defined using the `function` keyword.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+function multiply(a, b) {
+ return a * b
+}
+```
+
+When encountering the `return` keyword further execution of the function is terminated and
+the specified value is supplied to the caller of the function:
+
+```
+log(multiply(3, 5))
+```
+
+In this example the `multiply` function we declared earlier is invoked with two arguments (3 and 5).
+The function computes the product of those arguments and makes the result available to the
+function's caller.
+
+When no value is supplied for the `return` statement the function returns `null`.
+
+Functions which do not have a `return` statement have their return value set to the value of the
+last expression which was performed by the function. For example, we could have also written our
+`multiply` function like this:
+
+```
+function multiply(a, b) {
+ a * b
+}
+```
+
+Anonymous functions can be created by omitting the name in the function definition. The
+resulting function object can be used like any other value:
+
+```
+var fn = function() { 3 }
+
+fn() /* Returns 3 */
+```
+
+## Lambda Expressions <a id="lambdas"></a>
+
+Functions can also be declared using the alternative lambda syntax.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+f = (x) => x * x
+```
+
+Multiple statements can be used by putting the function body into braces:
+
+```
+f = (x) => {
+ log("Lambda called")
+ x * x
+}
+```
+
+Just like with ordinary functions the return value is the value of the last statement.
+
+For lambdas which take exactly one argument the braces around the arguments can be omitted:
+
+```
+f = x => x * x
+```
+
+### Lambda Expressions with Closures <a id="lambdas-closures"></a>
+
+Lambda expressions which take a given number of arguments may need additional
+variable values from the outer scope. When the lambda expression does not allow
+to change the interface, [closures](17-language-reference.md#closures) come into play.
+
+```
+var y
+
+f = ((x) use(y) => x == y)
+```
+
+Note that the braces around arguments are always required when using closures.
+
+A more concrete example:
+
+Within the DSL, you want to [filter](18-library-reference.md#array-filter) an array of HostGroup objects by their name.
+The filter function takes one argument being a function callback which either returns
+`true` or `false`. Matching items are collected into the result set.
+
+```
+get_objects(HostGroup).filter((hg) => hg.name == "linux-servers")
+```
+
+Instead of hardcoding the matching hostgroup name into the lambda scope, you want
+to control the value from the outside configuration values, e.g. in a custom variable
+or global constant.
+
+```
+var hg_filter_name = "linux-servers"
+
+get_objects(HostGroup).filter((hg) use(hg_filter_name) => hg.name == hg_filter_name)
+```
+
+You can also use this example vice versa and extract host object matching a specific
+host group name.
+
+```
+var hg_filter_name = "linux-servers"
+
+get_objects(Host).filter((h) use (hg_search_name) => hg_search_name in h.groups).map(h => h.name)
+```
+
+Note that this example makes use of the [map](18-library-reference.md#array-map) method for the Array type which
+extracts the host name attribute from the full object into a new array.
+
+## Abbreviated Lambda Syntax <a id="nullary-lambdas"></a>
+
+Lambdas which take no arguments can also be written using the abbreviated lambda syntax.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+f = {{ 3 }}
+```
+
+This creates a new function which returns the value 3.
+
+## Variable Scopes <a id="variable-scopes"></a>
+
+When setting a variable Icinga checks the following scopes in this order whether the variable
+already exists there:
+
+* Local Scope
+* `this` Scope
+* Global Scope
+
+The local scope contains variables which only exist during the invocation of the current function,
+object or apply statement. Local variables can be declared using the `var` keyword:
+
+```
+function multiply(a, b) {
+ var temp = a * b
+ return temp
+}
+```
+
+Each time the `multiply` function is invoked a new `temp` variable is used which is in no way
+related to previous invocations of the function.
+
+When setting a variable which has not previously been declared as local using the `var` keyword
+the `this` scope is used.
+
+The `this` scope refers to the current object which the function or object/apply statement
+operates on.
+
+```
+object Host "localhost" {
+ check_interval = 5m
+}
+```
+
+In this example the `this` scope refers to the "localhost" object. The `check_interval` attribute
+is set for this particular host.
+
+You can explicitly access the `this` scope using the `this` keyword:
+
+```
+object Host "localhost" {
+ var check_interval = 5m
+
+ /* This explicitly specifies that the attribute should be set
+ * for the host, if we had omitted `this.` the (poorly named)
+ * local variable `check_interval` would have been modified instead.
+ */
+ this.check_interval = 1m
+}
+```
+Similarly the keywords `locals` and `globals` are available to access the local and global scope.
+
+Functions also have a `this` scope. However unlike for object/apply statements the `this` scope for
+a function is set to whichever object was used to invoke the function. Here's an example:
+
+```
+ hm = {
+ h_word = null
+
+ function init(word) {
+ h_word = word
+ }
+ }
+
+ /* Let's invoke the init() function */
+ hm.init("hello")
+```
+
+We're using `hm.init` to invoke the function which causes the value of `hm` to become the `this`
+scope for this function call.
+
+## Closures <a id="closures"></a>
+
+By default `function`s, `object`s and `apply` rules do not have access to variables declared
+outside of their scope (except for global variables).
+
+In order to access variables which are defined in the outer scope the `use` keyword can be used:
+
+```
+function MakeHelloFunction(name) {
+ return function() use(name) {
+ log("Hello, " + name)
+ }
+}
+```
+
+In this case a new variable `name` is created inside the inner function's scope which has the
+value of the `name` function argument.
+
+Alternatively a different value for the inner variable can be specified:
+
+```
+function MakeHelloFunction(name) {
+ return function() use (greeting = "Hello, " + name) {
+ log(greeting)
+ }
+}
+```
+
+## Conditional Statements <a id="conditional-statements"></a>
+
+### Conditional Statements: if/else <a id="conditional-statements-if-else"></a>
+
+Sometimes it can be desirable to only evaluate statements when certain conditions are met. The if/else
+construct can be used to accomplish this.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+a = 3
+
+if (a < 5) {
+ a *= 7
+} else if (a > 10) {
+ a *= 5
+} else {
+ a *= 2
+}
+```
+
+An if/else construct can also be used in place of any other value. The value of an if/else statement
+is the value of the last statement which was evaluated for the branch which was taken:
+
+```
+a = if (true) {
+ log("Taking the 'true' branch")
+ 7 * 3
+} else {
+ log("Taking the 'false' branch")
+ 9
+}
+```
+
+This example prints the log message "Taking the 'true' branch" and the `a` variable is set to 21 (7 * 3).
+
+The value of an if/else construct is null if the condition evaluates to false and no else branch is given.
+
+### Conditional Statements: Ternary Operator <a id="conditional-statements-ternary"></a>
+
+Instead of if/else condition chains, you can also use the ternary operator `?`
+with assignments. Values are separated with a colon `:` character.
+
+```
+cond ? cond_val_true : cond_val_false
+```
+
+Whether the first condition matches, the first value is returned, if not, the else and second
+branch value is returned.
+
+The following example evaluates a condition and either assigns `1` or `0`
+to the local variable.
+
+```
+<1> => var x = (2 * 3 > 5) ? 1 : 0
+null
+<2> => x
+1.000000
+<3> => var x = (2 * 3 > 7) ? 1 : 0
+null
+<4> => x
+0.000000
+```
+
+Additional examples with advanced condition chaining:
+
+```
+<1> => 1 ? 2 : 3 ? 4 : 5 ? 6 : 7
+2.000000
+<2> => 0 ? 2 : 3 ? 4 : 5 ? 6 : 7
+4.000000
+<3> => 0 ? 2 : 0 ? 4 : 5 ? 6 : 7
+6.000000
+<4> => 0 ? 2 : 0 ? 4 : 0 ? 6 : 7
+7.000000
+<5> => 1 + 0 ? 2 : 3 + 4
+2.000000
+<6> => 0 + 0 ? 2 : 3 + 4
+7.000000
+<7> => (()=>{ return 1 ? 2 : 3 })()
+2.000000
+<8> => var x = 1 ? 2 : 3
+null
+<9> => x
+2.000000
+```
+
+
+## While Loops <a id="while-loops"></a>
+
+The `while` statement checks a condition and executes the loop body when the condition evaluates to `true`.
+This is repeated until the condition is no longer true.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+var num = 5
+
+while (num > 5) {
+ log("Test")
+ num -= 1
+}
+```
+
+The `continue` and `break` keywords can be used to control how the loop is executed: The `continue` keyword
+skips over the remaining expressions for the loop body and begins the next loop evaluation. The `break` keyword
+breaks out of the loop.
+
+## For Loops <a id="for-loops"></a>
+
+The `for` statement can be used to iterate over arrays and dictionaries.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+var list = [ "a", "b", "c" ]
+
+for (var item in list) {
+ log("Item: " + item)
+}
+```
+
+The loop body is evaluated once for each item in the array. The variable `item` is declared as a local
+variable just as if the `var` keyword had been used.
+
+Iterating over dictionaries can be accomplished in a similar manner:
+
+```
+var dict = { a = 3, b = 7 }
+
+for (var key => var value in dict) {
+ log("Key: " + key + ", Value: " + value)
+}
+```
+
+The `continue` and `break` keywords can be used to control how the loop is executed: The `continue` keyword
+skips over the remaining expressions for the loop body and begins the next loop evaluation. The `break` keyword
+breaks out of the loop.
+
+The `var` keyword is optional when declaring variables in the loop's header. Variables declared without the `var`
+keyword are nonetheless local to the function.
+
+## Constructors <a id="constructor"></a>
+
+In order to create a new value of a specific type constructor calls may be used.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+var pd = PerfdataValue()
+pd.label = "test"
+pd.value = 10
+```
+
+You can also try to convert an existing value to another type by specifying it as an argument for the constructor call.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+var s = String(3) /* Sets s to "3". */
+```
+
+## Throwing Exceptions <a id="throw"></a>
+
+Built-in commands may throw exceptions to signal errors such as invalid arguments. User scripts can throw exceptions
+using the `throw` keyword.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+throw "An error occurred."
+```
+
+## Handling Exceptions <a id="try-except"></a>
+
+Exceptions can be handled using the `try` and `except` keywords. When an exception occurs while executing code in the
+`try` clause no further statements in the `try` clause are evaluated and the `except` clause is executed instead.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+try {
+ throw "Test"
+
+ log("This statement won't get executed.")
+} except {
+ log("An error occurred in the try clause.")
+}
+```
+
+## Breakpoints <a id="breakpoints"></a>
+
+The `debugger` keyword can be used to insert a breakpoint. It may be used at any place where an assignment would also be a valid expression.
+
+By default breakpoints have no effect unless Icinga is started with the `--script-debugger` command-line option. When the script debugger is enabled Icinga stops execution of the script when it encounters a breakpoint and spawns a console which lets the user inspect the current state of the execution environment.
+
+## Types <a id="types"></a>
+
+All values have a static type. The `typeof` function can be used to determine the type of a value:
+
+```
+typeof(3) /* Returns an object which represents the type for numbers */
+```
+
+The following built-in types are available:
+
+Type | Examples | Description
+-----------|-------------------|------------------------
+Number | 3.7 | A numerical value.
+Boolean | true, false | A boolean value.
+String | "hello" | A string.
+Array | [ "a", "b" ] | An array.
+Dictionary | { a = 3 } | A dictionary.
+
+Depending on which libraries are loaded additional types may become available. The `icinga`
+library implements a whole bunch of other [object types](09-object-types.md#object-types),
+e.g. Host, Service, CheckCommand, etc.
+
+Each type has an associated type object which describes the type's semantics. These
+type objects are made available using global variables which match the type's name:
+
+```
+/* This logs 'true' */
+log(typeof(3) == Number)
+```
+
+The type object's `prototype` property can be used to find out which methods a certain type
+supports:
+
+```
+/* This returns: ["contains","find","len","lower","replace","reverse","split","substr","to_string","trim","upper"] */
+keys(String.prototype)
+```
+
+Additional documentation on type methods is available in the
+[library reference](18-library-reference.md#library-reference).
+
+## Location Information <a id="location-information"></a>
+
+The location of the currently executing script can be obtained using the
+`current_filename` and `current_line` keywords.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+log("Hello from '" + current_filename + "' in line " + current_line)
+```
+
+## Reserved Keywords <a id="reserved-keywords"></a>
+
+These keywords are reserved and must not be used as constants or custom variables.
+
+```
+object
+template
+include
+include_recursive
+include_zones
+library
+null
+true
+false
+const
+var
+this
+globals
+locals
+use
+default
+ignore_on_error
+current_filename
+current_line
+apply
+to
+where
+import
+assign
+ignore
+function
+return
+break
+continue
+for
+if
+else
+while
+throw
+try
+except
+in
+using
+namespace
+```
+You can escape reserved keywords using the `@` character. The following example
+tries to set `vars.include` which references a reserved keyword and generates
+an error:
+
+```
+[2014-09-15 17:24:00 +0200] critical/config: Location:
+/etc/icinga2/conf.d/hosts/localhost.conf(13): vars.sla = "24x7"
+/etc/icinga2/conf.d/hosts/localhost.conf(14):
+/etc/icinga2/conf.d/hosts/localhost.conf(15): vars.include = "some cmdb export field"
+ ^^^^^^^
+/etc/icinga2/conf.d/hosts/localhost.conf(16): }
+/etc/icinga2/conf.d/hosts/localhost.conf(17):
+
+Config error: in /etc/icinga2/conf.d/hosts/localhost.conf: 15:8-15:14: syntax error, unexpected include (T_INCLUDE), expecting T_IDENTIFIER
+[2014-09-15 17:24:00 +0200] critical/config: 1 errors, 0 warnings.
+```
+
+You can escape the `include` keyword by prefixing it with an additional `@` character:
+
+```
+object Host "localhost" {
+ import "generic-host"
+
+ address = "127.0.0.1"
+ address6 = "::1"
+
+ vars.os = "Linux"
+ vars.sla = "24x7"
+
+ vars.@include = "some cmdb export field"
+}
+```