[RBASE-L] - Re: Create variable on the fly

[William Stacy]

I agree with you completely.  I have a command file that runs every time I start my app, and it looks something like: set v i1 int=null set v i2 int=null set v i3 int=null set v t1 text=null set v t2 text=null set v d1 date=null set v d2 date=null set v  n1 num(4,2,)=null set v  count_of_pn int=0 and I have about 2 pages of this kind of stuff that presets all my variables with a null, zero or whatever default/starting value I want. I NEVER use the CLEAR VAR command, instead just reset /reuse all these preset variables using the very compact syntaxes of: d1=.#date i1=0 t1='y' t2=null and so on. Very compact, clean and lean, and the fastest, because it's so easy on the CPU I've always suspected that clearing variables created a memory leak, but cannot prove it. But it surely causes more typing when coding! bill Alastair Burr wrote: Whilst I appreciate that it is sometimes nice to know if a variable already exists (and, if so, maybe even its value) but I would suggest that it is much better to declare _all_ of them at the start of your app/cmd file/eep/whatever and _never_ clear them until the end. Of course there will always be exceptions but I have found it much easier to be able to see all the vars at the top of the file and their data type in one place. If I need to reset any I simply set it to null or a specific value before use. Would anybody like to comment on the overhead of keeping variables defined against regularly setting and clearing them (and, maybe losing them)? With computing power such as it is these days can a practical limit be reached? Regards, Alastair. ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Hageman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "RBASE-L Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 9:24 PM Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Create variable on the fly I like that, short and sweet. However it does give a warning about setting the variable to NULL without indicator variable or something, but it still works and holds the assigned value if it is defined. Cool Thanks Jim James Jim Limburg wrote: James Just use SET VAR v1 TEXT ... or whatever datatype is is delcared to as before. Be sure to keep the datatypes the same though.. Don't set it to null. Doing it this way will not clear the variables setting if it already exist, but well set it to NULL if it doesn't exist. Jim Limburg James Hageman wrote: I want to be able to find out if a variable exists and if not to create it and then pronpt the user to assign a value to it. I thought I could do something like : IF (IFEXIST(v1,.v1,NULL)) IS NULL THEN DIALOG 'Enter value for v1' v1 vEndKey 1 ENDIF But I get an error message telling me v1 doesnt exist, Right! I know. .