Additional Topics > External Development Guide > IDLInternals - Miscellaneous > Functions for Returning System Variables

# Functions for Returning System Variables

The following functions return the values of certain system variables. Note that these values should be considered READ-ONLY.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvVersionArch(void)

This function returns a pointer to the !VERSION.ARCH system variable.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvVersionOS(void)

This function returns a pointer to the !VERSION.OS system variable.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvVersionOSFamily(void)

This function returns a pointer to the !VERSION.OS_FAMILY system variable.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvVersionRelease(void)

This function returns a pointer to the !VERSION.RELEASE system variable.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvDirFunc(void)

This function returns a pointer to the !DIR system variable.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvErrStringFunc(void)

This function returns a pointer to the !ERROR_STATE.MSG system variable.

## IDL_STRING *IDL_SysvSyserrStringFunc(void)

This function returns a pointer to !ERROR_STATE.SYS_MSG system variable.

## IDL_LONG IDL_SysvErrorCodeValue(void)

This function returns the value of the !ERROR_STATE system variable.

## IDL_LONG IDL_SysvOrderValue(void)

This function returns the value of the !ORDER system variable.