In this example, a function changes the index order of table of classes at a school:

PROCEDURE ClassesByRoom

   local cAlias 

   cAlias = alias( ) 

   select CLASSES 

   set order to ROOM 

   select ( cAlias ) 

This function saves the alias name of the currently selected table—which might be the table of teachers, students, or even the classes table—in the variable cAlias. When the function is done, that alias is reselected with the SELECT command, using the parentheses as indirection operators.