Maybe a good night's sleep and another look at the reserved word list will have cleared my mind:
Yesterday, I thought that the first 4 characters of any reserved word were the unique part so you would be unwise to use those 4 characters (or the first three or two or one of them) as the name of a table/column or as the short-form of a command. A quick look at the reserved word list had shown RATE1, RATE2 & RATE3 but not RATE. My thought then was that using RATE would be liable to cause problems simply because it is the first 4 characters of 3 reserved words. On top of that, it seemed possible that RATE might easily be added to the list at some future date. This morning, with a more comprehensive look at the reserved word list, I can see that there are quite a few entries where the first four characters are not unique - various AUTO's and SOUNDS's are obvious examples, as well as the RATE's. Obviously R:Base can and does differentiate between words longer than 4 characters but that wasn't quite my concern. What did concern me was using the first 4 characters of a reserved word _might_ cause a problem. Actually reading the text that precedes the reserved word list in the in-line help this morning it says, and I quote: "Do not use these words or any shorter forms of them as names for columns, tables, or views." The printed manual for v5.5 went a bit further: "Do not use these words or any shorter forms of them as names for columns, forms, labels, reports, tables, views, or variables." Seems that not using RATE is probably a wise move <g>. Regards, Alastair. ----- Original Message ----- From: "claudinerobbins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "RBG7-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 1:47 AM Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > OK, that 'splains it... I'm gonna make it simple and name it anything but > RATE <g>... > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of MikeB > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:18 PM > To: RBG7-L Mailing List > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > Ok.. RATE was a bad example because of RATE1, RATE2, and RATE3 being > Reserved > words, but the rule still applies that you could use RATE1x, RATE2x, or > RATE3x, > where x is another character without any conflicts. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "claudinerobbins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "RBG7-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 7:08 PM > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > > > I said RStyle highlights "it" meaning RATE. > > > > Are you saying that RATE1 can be used although it is used in a function? > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of MikeB > > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 5:57 PM > > To: RBG7-L Mailing List > > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > > > I'm thinking you are confusing the rule (or I am?). > > > > AFAIK, You wouldn't want to name anything 3 or 4 characters total length > > that > > would be the first 3 or 4 characters of a reserved word, as you know RBase > > interprets that as the full length reserved word, but you could use the > > first 3 > > or 4 characters of any reserved word as long as an additional character > was > > added that distinguished it from the Reserved word. > > > > Let's use the RATE example. > > > > You would NOT want to name a column or object RAT or RATE, but RAT1 or > RATE1 > > would be acceptable. > > > > I don't know how Claudine thought that RATE1 was highlighted in RBE. > > > > It does not highlight in mine, nor does RAT, RAT1, or RATE1. > > RATE by itself is the only thing that highlights. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Alastair Burr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "RBG7-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> > > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:44 PM > > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > > > > > > Mike, > > > > > > I thought that you had to keep the first 4 characters unique/different > > from > > > reserved words - or has that changed without my noticing it? > > > > > > At the same time, RATE1/2/3 obviously have 5 but the first 4 are the > same > > - > > > so I'm confused. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Alastair. > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "MikeB" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: "RBG7-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 11:27 PM > > > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > > > > > > > > > But...... Rate1 <> Rate... > > > > > > > > You can take any RBase Reserved word and add 1 letter to it and > RBase > > > won't > > > > complain because they are not equivlent... > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "claudinerobbins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > To: "RBG7-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> > > > > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:23 PM > > > > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > > > > > > > > > > > > Alastair, > > > > > > > > > > Yes, I was thinking the same thing, better safe than sorry... > > > > > > > > > > Thanks :) > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Alastair > > > Burr > > > > > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 4:59 PM > > > > > To: RBG7-L Mailing List > > > > > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Re: Reserved Words > > > > > > > > > > Claudine, > > > > > > > > > > These are 3 functions that give interest rates - I would advise you > > not > > > to > > > > > use RATE if you can avoid it. It may work for you now but in the > > > future... > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Alastair. > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: "claudinerobbins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > To: "RBG7-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> > > > > > Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 10:37 PM > > > > > Subject: [RBG7-L] - Reserved Words > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > RATE1, RATE2 and RATE3 are reserved words, and even though RATE is > > not > > > on > > > > > > the list, RStyle highlights it as if it were. Does anyone know if > > > there is > > > > > > any danger in using this for a field name? (inherited from > > Oracle...). > > > > > > > > > > > > TIA, > > > > > > > > > > > > Claudine :) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
