> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.r.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.r.xyz/glider-ide/api/instruction/instruction.previous_instructions_recursive.md).
# Instruction.previous\_instructions\_recursive()
Returns the set of all instructions preceding the current node in the control flow graph.
`previous_instructions_recursive() →` [`APISet`](/glider-ide/api/iterables/apiset.md)`[`[`Instruction`](/glider-ide/api/instruction.md)`]`
The function returns all instructions that are previous to the instruction in the CFG (control flow graph).
The difference between the extended\_previous\_instructions() function and [previous\_instructions()](/glider-ide/api/instruction/instruction.previous_instructions.md) is that the former works in an inter-procedural manner.
*The function is inter-procedural, and follows function calls; for the **intra**-procedural variant of this function, use* [*previous\_instructions()*](/glider-ide/api/instruction/instruction.previous_instructions.md)*.*
For example, in the function:
```solidity
function mul(uint256 a, uint256 b) internal pure returns (uint256) {
if (a == 0) {
return 0;
}
uint256 c = a * b;
require(c / a == b, "SafeMath: multiplication overflow");
return c;
}
```
for the instruction:
```solidity
require(c / a == b, "SafeMath: multiplication overflow")
```
having that the mul() is being called inside the function:
```solidity
function _transfer(address from, address to, uint256 amount) private {
uint256 taxAmount=0;
if (!_isExcludedFromFee[from] && !_isExcludedFromFee[to]) {
require(tradeOpen, "Trading not open");
taxAmount = amount.mul((_buyCount>_reduceBuyTaxAt)?_finalBuyTax:_initialBuyTax).div(100);
if (from == uniswapV2Pair && to != address(uniswapV2Router)) {
require(balanceOf(to) + amount <= _maxWalletSize, "Exceeds the limit");
_buyCount++;
}
if (to != uniswapV2Pair) {
require(balanceOf(to) + amount <= _maxWalletSize, "Exceeds the limit");
}
if(to == uniswapV2Pair && from!= address(this) ){
taxAmount = amount.mul((_buyCount>_reduceSellTaxAt)?_finalSellTax:_initialSellTax).div(100);
}
//....
}
```
the function will return previous instructions from mul():
```solidity
if (a == 0) {
return 0;
}
uint256 c = a * b;
```
as well as from \_transfer():
```solidity
uint256 taxAmount=0;
if (!_isExcludedFromFee[from] && !_isExcludedFromFee[to]) {
require(tradeOpen, "Trading not open");
taxAmount = amount.mul((_buyCount>_reduceBuyTaxAt)?_finalBuyTax:_initialBuyTax).div(100);
if (from == uniswapV2Pair && to != address(uniswapV2Router)) {
require(balanceOf(to) + amount <= _maxWalletSize, "Exceeds the limit");
_buyCount++;
}
if (to != uniswapV2Pair) {
require(balanceOf(to) + amount <= _maxWalletSize, "Exceeds the limit");
}
if(to == uniswapV2Pair && from!= address(this) ){
taxAmount = amount.mul((_buyCount>_reduceSellTaxAt)?_finalSellTax:_initialSellTax).div(100);
}
```
Furthermore, it will also return instructions from transferFrom() function as the \_transfer() is being called from there as well:
```solidity
function transferFrom(address sender, address recipient, uint256 amount) public override returns (bool) {
_transfer(sender, recipient, amount);
_approve(sender, _msgSender(), _allowances[sender][_msgSender()].sub(amount, "ERC20: transfer amount exceeds allowance"));
return true;
}
```
## Query Example
```python
from glider import *
def query():
instructions = Functions().with_all_properties([MethodProp.INTERNAL]).instructions().with_callee_name('require').exec(1, 2)
return instructions + list(instructions[0].previous_instructions_recursive())
```
## Example Output
{% hint style="info" %}
The function returns APISet, instead of APIList, in case the result of the function is used as the return value of the query it must be casted to `list()`
{% endhint %}
