Comm.bas example I declare!

[Doug Hitchens]

..or rather there are NO declares for functions or subs.

I've been away for awhile, and was back doing some programming. I was reviewing the code from the provided comm.bas code in the samples.

I noticed there are no declares for subs or functions that I can find. No .inc files other than the win32api.inc. Yet this program compiles! I can even add a function without declaring it, and it compiles! (Yes, I still have PBWin 8.04)

Ok, I've searched the forums, and stared at the code, and I can't figure out why this works.

It's not a big deal, just curiosity is getting the best of me...

Anyone care to slap me upside the head, and give me the simple answer?!

[José Roca]

No .inc files other than the win32api.inc. Yet this program compiles!

Of course. It only uses statements built-in in the compiler. If it was not for the equates, you won't even need win32api.inc.

[Mel Bishop]

http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showthread.php?t=40197

[Doug Hitchens]

Of course. It only uses statements built-in in the compiler. If it was not for the equates, you won't even need win32api.inc.

Uh, I don't think that is true.... Anyway, as I said, I can add a dummy sub, which I KNOW is not built in, and it still compiles without a declare of my dummy sub.

Thanks, Mel, but I'm using PBwin 8.04, which still requires (AFAIK) everything to be declared. (I'll soon have ver 9, but not yet I don't)

What am I missing here?

[Doug Hitchens]

Oh, and Jose, if I cut and paste into a new file any of the functions from comm.bas into a new program...the compiler asks them to be declared....

[José Roca]

Uh, I don't think that is true.... Anyway, as I said, I can add a dummy sub, which I KNOW is not built in, and it still compiles without a declare of my dummy sub.

You don't need a declare if the code that is going to use the function or procedure is located AFTER it, or if you use CALL.

[Doug Hitchens]

I can add this function...

function doug() as long
local x as INTEGER
for x=1 to 5
next x
END function

and call it PREVIOUSLY in code

Call Doug()

Still doesn't require a declaration...

[José Roca]

Oh, and Jose, if I cut and paste into a new file any of the functions from comm.bas into a new program...the compiler asks them to be declared....

Any? I have cut and pasted this one and the compiler does not complain.

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
#INCLUDE "Win32API.inc"

SUB AddLine (BYVAL hWnd AS DWORD, BYVAL nID AS LONG, SendText AS ASCIIZ)

    LOCAL ListCount AS LONG

    ' find the current listbox count
    CONTROL SEND hWnd, nID, %LB_GETCOUNT, 0, 0 TO ListCount

    ' update the listbox
    CONTROL SEND hWnd, nID, %LB_ADDSTRING, 0, VARPTR(SendText)

    ' scroll the new item into view
    CONTROL SEND hWnd, nID, %LB_SETCURSEL, ListCount, 0

END SUB


FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG

    MSGBOX "ok"

END FUNCTION

[José Roca]

I can add this function...

function doug() as long
local x as INTEGER
for x=1 to 5
next x
END function

and call it PREVIOUSLY in code

Call Doug()

Still doesn't require a declaration...

I have said "You don't need a declare if the code that is going to use the function or procedure is located AFTER it, or if you use CALL. "

[Doug Hitchens]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough, I DID forward reference it, actually, I referenced the function before and after. Still compiled.

I guess "any" was a poor choice of words, I didn't realize I'd be taken that literally. I meant to only say that I'd cut and pasted much of the code to work with a test program, and then the functions/subs required declaration. Maybe not all of them would have, if there were no forward references, I didn't get that nuts about it....

Got any other ideas....

Really, it's not that big of a deal, I was just curious as to what I was missing here....

[Doug Hitchens]

....and by what you say...shouldn't the following code require a declaration of "Addline"?

Note, I rem'ed out the .inc, and changed the equates to values just to make sure Addline wasn't already declared. Then I moved PBmain ahead of the procedure, and called the function as a forward reference...

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
'#INCLUDE "Win32API.inc"

FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG
   local txt as asciiz*12
    MSGBOX "ok"
     call addline(0,0,txt)
END FUNCTION

SUB AddLine (BYVAL hWnd AS DWORD, BYVAL nID AS LONG, SendText AS ASCIIZ)

    LOCAL ListCount AS LONG

    ' find the current listbox count
    'CONTROL SEND hWnd, nID, 1, 0, 0 TO ListCount

    ' update the listbox
    'CONTROL SEND hWnd, nID, 2, 0, VARPTR(SendText)

    ' scroll the new item into view
    'CONTROL SEND hWnd, nID, 3, ListCount, 0

END SUB

[Doug Hitchens]

:dang:

OH...I said I'd been away from programming for awhile. I see using "Call" must tell the compiler to find the reference and define it at that time....

I knew it was something silly I was missing...

Thanks!

[Michael Mattias]

Well, CALL obviates the need for the DECLARE, but so does using PBCC 5+ or PBWIN 9+.

Forward-referencing of procedures was an added new feature of those versions.

MCM

[Cliff Nichols]

well tonight I found a use for forwarding (bad VB habits) but came in handy to hurriedly test an idea.

Bad part is to not forget and go back to declare each piece, and then later run into problems because I forgot to get each nut in its place and each bolt in the right screw....."Wait...why is there a bolt where the screw should be????" GAHHHHHHHH

Its all in the details, and my own preference is to make sure all details are handled if I can handle it so years down the line I am not troubleshooting a simple oversight