Just another idea...

[mark smit]

Hello,

Here are some idea's (wishlist). I dont't quite know how to put this into words so I will give examples instead!


request #1
----------
dim buffer(2048) as byte
dim buffptr as byte ptr

GET? #1,2048,buffer() read 2048 bytes into array
PUT? #1,2048,buffer() write 2048 bytes from array
GET?? #1,1024,buffer() read 1024 words into array
PUT?? #1,1024,buffer() write 1024 words from array

GET? #1,2048,@buffptr read 2048 bytes into buffer pointer
PUT? #1,2048,@buffptr write 2048 bytes from buffer pointer
GET?? #1,1024,@buffptr read 1024 words into buffer pointer
PUT?? #1,1024,@buffptr write 1024 words from buffer pionter


request #2
----------
dim buffer as word
dim strbuff as string

&buffer == varptr(buffer)
&strbuff == strptr(strbuff)

allow the use of '&' before variable to indicate "pointer of variable"

What do you guy's think?



------------------
Cheers

[Michael Mattias]

UNION B
  Buffer (1 to 2048) AS BYTE
  SBuffer AS STRING * 2048
END UNION
DIM BX AS B
...
  GET #1,loc,BX.SBuffer
  FOR I& = 1 TO 2048
    PRINT "Byte Value=";BX.Buffer(I&)
  NEXT I&

As far as "&" for "address of", PB always passes "address of" unless you go out of your way to do elsewise.

You can also accomplish the first thing with absolute arrays:

DIM FileBuff AS STRING * 2048
DIM Buffer(1 to 2048) AS BYTE AT VARTPR(FileBuff)
GET #1,loc,FileBuff
  FOR I& = 1 to 2048
    same as above...

------------------
Michael Mattias
Racine WI USA
[email protected]

[mark smit]

Hello Michael!

I understand what your saying about the UNION but what if you want to use dynamic arrays, you can't REDIM an array in a UNION and I have found that UNIONS and TYPES have limits to how big they can be. That brings us to the next suggestion...It just looks messy! and once again what happens when you use REDIM on the array? About the "&", If PowerBasic always passes an address by default what is the proper way to get that address in a function? would this be correct?

type MARKSTRUCT
    Hours as long
    Minutes as long
    Seconds as long
end type

dim Time as TIMESTRUCT  <------------------------\
dim Result as long                               |
                                                 |
Result = GetTime(Time)                           |
                                                 |
                                                 |
function GetTime(Time as TIMESTRUCT) as long     |
    dim Address as long                          |
                                                 |
    Address = varptr(Time) rem IS THIS CORRECT?  |
                                                 |
    rem Address = pointer of --------------------/
end function

------------------
Cheers

[Lance Edmonds]

Yes, that would be a valid pointer to the UDT that was defined in the calling code.

------------------
Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Michael Mattias]

As far as "arrays" in UNIONS (and UDTs):

I sincerely hope PB changes its nomenclature starting with the next release of all the compilers.

TYPE/UNION Foo
J (1 to 100) AS LONG
K (1 to 200) AS INTEGER
END TYPE/UNION

J and K in the above are NOT arrays: they are statically sized TABLEs.

I suspect they were called "arrays" as a marketing decision.

MCM