global counter nrofcities initial {0} ; a variable with 
    name "nrofcities" and value "0"
  
  element cities ;rule
       output "%c" ; continue parsing 

  element city
     increment nrofcities ; the variable "profcities" 
is incremented (+1)
     output "<p>"
     output "City %d(nrofcities) of " ; the value of 
     variable "nrofcities" is sent to the output
     output referent "totalofcities" 
             ; the referent is the placeholder for the 
not known yet value of the total of cities
             ; the content of the placeholder is sent to
the output
      output "<BR>"
      output "%c"
      output "</p>"
      set referent "totalofcities" to "%d(nrofcities)" 
             ; the value of "nrofcities" is placed in 
the placeholder
             ; after the first its 1, then 2, and 
finally for our example 5