This example introduces a new statement: The 3-way if-statement. In a 3-way if-statement two values are compared and depending on the outcome one of 3 code blocks, corresponding to less than, equal and greater than, is executed. An example using the 3-way if statement is:

if yourAge cmp myAge is
  lt: writeln("You are yonger than me");
  eq: writeln("We have the same age");
  gt: writeln("You are older than me");
end if;

The syntax of this statement can be defined with the Seed7 Structured Syntax Description (S7SSD):

$ syntax expr: .if.().cmp.().is.
                  lt. : .().
                  eq. : .().
                  gt. : .().
                end.if is -> 25;

The semantic of this statement can be defined with:

const proc: if (in integer: a) cmp (in integer: b) is
              lt: (in proc: ltPart)
              eq: (in proc: eqPart)
              gt: (in proc: gtPart)
            end if is func
  begin
    if a < b then
      ltPart;
    elsif a = b then
      eqPart;
    else
      gtPart;
    end if;
  end func;

The type proc determines that 'ltPart', 'eqPart' and 'gtPart' are call-by-name parameters. Contrary to normal parameters a call-by-name parameter is not evaluated, when the function is called. Instead the function decides, if a call-by-name parameter is evaluated. So the lt, eq and gt parts of a 3-way if-statement are not evaluated, when it is called. Instead the 3-way if-statement decides, if 'ltPart', 'eqPart' or 'gtPart' should be evaluated.