Shortened Procedure Nomenclature

[Gary Beene]

It's annoying (not that much, but enough to raise the question) to have to write this:

Function WinMain (ByVal hInst As Dword, ByVal hPrevInstance As Dword, ByVal lpCmdLine As Asciiz PTR, ByVal iCmdShow As Long) As Long

Is there no shortened nomenclature that the compiler would accept? As I've noted before I like short code and I don't like line continuations. I'd rather have optional shortcut nomenclature - such as this:

Fn WinMain(hInst DW,hPrev DW,Line A_P,Show L) Long_v

where, the _b says all arguments are ByVal unless otherwise stated.

Is there any prior history on something like this? The compiler would have to be compatible with Windows API syntax, but could be a buffer for the user. I'd rather think than type, and for sure, I'd rather view than scroll.

And yes, I understand there's the issue of being able to read the code later on, or for others to maintain the code, but still - that's why it would be optional. Let the programmer decide. For that matter, there could be an IDE "Expand" function, which expands the code to the more conventional syntax before archiving it.

[Michael Mattias]

Well, you could try using MACROs.

But seriously, is it really THAT much effort to type important keywords such as FUNCTION, SUB and BYVAL?

Have The Youth of America lost ALL sense of work ethic?

[José Roca]

Use macros, e.g.

MACRO WMAIN = Function WinMain (ByVal hInst As Dword, ByVal hPrevInstance As Dword, ByVal lpCmdLine As Asciiz PTR, ByVal iCmdShow As Long) As Long
MACRO EF = END FUNCTION

Usage:

WMAIN

EF

[Jeff Blakeney]

I don't see the need for this either. With todays large monitors and high resolution displays, you can get a lot of text on screen at once. If you want faster typing, get an editor that supports auto completion so that you don't need to type entire words. If you wanted to do this, however, like Michael said, MACROs are your friend:

MACRO Fn  = FUNCTION
MACRO DW  = AS DWORD
MACRO A_P = AS ASCIIZ POINTER
MACRO L   = AS LONG
MACRO BV  = BYVAL

Fn WINMAIN(BV hInst DW, BV hPrev DW, BV pLine A_P, BV iShow L) L

    MSGBOX "It works!"

END Fn

[José Roca]

MSGBOX "It works!"

Until you begin to get conflicts with variable names, etc. Choose the names of the macros carefully, adding a prefix or a suffix.

[Jeff Blakeney]

Until you begin to get conflicts with variable names, etc. Choose the names of the macros carefully, adding a prefix or a suffix.

Very true. That's why I don't think it is even worth the bother. Once you start adding prefixes and such, you end up typing almost as much anyway.

[Michael Mattias]

MACRO L   = AS LONG
MACRO BV  = BYVAL

Fn WINMAIN(BV hInst DW, BV hPrev DW, BV pLine A_P, BV iShow L) L

Oops. "BV pLine" is going to come out "BYVAL pAS LONGine"

I think that's an "AS or type specifier expected" error.

[Gösta H. Lovgren-2]

This thread is so 90's. There was a segment on 60 Minutes tonight where amputees can just think what they want and move an articulated arm/hand.

Zale and Company should be working on a method of gluing a couple of padded sensors on Mr. Beene's head so that what he thinks should work will be typed out in PB Edit. And maybe hooked wirelessly to Mr. Mathias' brain pads to keep Mr. Beene on the straight and narrow WPI path.

=============================================
"It is vain to do with more
what can be done with less."
William of Occam (c. 1285-1349), British monk
=============================================

[Christopher Carroll]

Fn WinMain(hInst DW,hPrev DW,Line A_P,Show L) Long_v

I look forward to the day when code like this is posted in the forum and the author asks for help.

Forth is better for this.

[Jeff Blakeney]

Oops. "BV pLine" is going to come out "BYVAL pAS LONGine"

I think that's an "AS or type specifier expected" error.

Apparently that doesn't happen because the code I posted compiles and runs without a problem. I think MACRO substitutions only happen on whole words so the L in pLine doesn't get replaced.

[Erich Schulman]

I think I can C a way.

long WinMain (dword hInst,hPrev,*lpCmdLine,long iCmdShow)
{
PRINT "DLROW"
PRINT "OLLEH"
}

You eliminate FUNCTION, AS, and END FUNCTION. A pointer is already a DWORD, so just a * to pass it.

I don't know a quasi-C syntax option really would be good for PB. It is briefer, but PB still lacks the verbosity that COBOL is (in)famous for.

[Jeff Blakeney]

The C syntax is one of the reasons I don't use C. It is very hard to read. I also don't use the new PB compound operators for the same reason.

[John Reinking]

Is there no shortened nomenclature that the compiler would accept?

Shorter and accepted,

Function PBMAIN
...
End Function

[Michael Mattias]

I think MACRO substitutions only happen on whole words so the L in pLine doesn't get replaced.

I had never used a macro other than 'whole word.'
I RTFM.
Doc does not contain this restriction.
I tested.
You are correct.
Bug report sent.


MCM

[Tom Hanlin]

There's no bug involved. A macro statement works with whole words, just like every other PowerBASIC statement. If it did not, we would have cause to document that as unusual behavior.

If you have a variable named GoToExit, I hope you have no question that the compiler is not going to treat it as GOTO and EXIT statements. By the same token, having a macro named ToExit is not going to affect the name GoToExit. This is just basic BASIC syntax.

[Michael Mattias]

A macro statement works with whole words, just like every other PowerBASIC statement

Well, then, this concise and easily-understood statement belongs on the help file page for MACRO, doesn't it?

It ain't there.

===> Documentation bug.

MCM

[Michael Mattias]

That said, it appears at least one person at PowerBASIC agrees with my assessment...

Hi Michael,

I have logged this with our documentation team, thank you.

Sincerely,
Jeff Daniels
PowerBASIC Staff

Michael Mattias wrote:
> 9/23/09
>
> PB/WIN 9.0.1/IDE compiler.
>
> MACRO is only substituting only when "whole word" found. Doc does
> not include said limitation.
>
> Documented behavior does not equal observed behavior. Bug.
>

If you hurry, you can probably get your excellent wording to the "documentation team", making it easy to incorporate this important fact into the very next help file update.

[Fred Harris]

I'm in complete agreement with Gosta! Way to go Gosta!

Anybody ever heard of copy / paste inheritance?

Anyway, if you don't like the basic WinMain() function signature - just get rid of it and use the simpler PBMain() instead. Here is my basic Form1 Sdk template app with WinMain() removed and PBMain() put in its place...

#Compile Exe
#Include "Win32api.inc"

Type WndEventArgs
  wParam As Long
  lParam As Long
  hWnd   As Dword
  hInst  As Dword
End Type

Declare Function FnPtr(wea As WndEventArgs) As Long

Type MessageHandler
  wMessage As Long
  dwFnPtr As Dword
End Type
Global MsgHdlr() As MessageHandler


Function fnWndProc_OnCreate(wea As WndEventArgs) As Long
  Local pCreateStruct As CREATESTRUCT Ptr

  pCreateStruct=wea.lParam
  [email protected]

  fnWndProc_OnCreate=0
End Function


Function fnWndProc_OnNotify(wea As WndEventArgs) As Long
  fnWndProc_OnNotify=0
End Function


Function fnWndProc_OnClose(wea As WndEventArgs) As Long
  Call DestroyWindow(wea.hWnd)
  Call PostQuitMessage(0)
  fnWndProc_OnClose=0
End Function


Function fnWndProc(ByVal hWnd As Long,ByVal wMsg As Long,ByVal wParam As Long,ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
  Static wea As WndEventArgs
  Register iReturn As Long
  Register i As Long

  For i=0 To 2
    If wMsg=MsgHdlr(i).wMessage Then
       wea.hWnd=hWnd: wea.wParam=wParam: wea.lParam=lParam
       Call Dword MsgHdlr(i).dwFnPtr Using FnPtr(wea) To iReturn
       fnWndProc=iReturn
       Exit Function
    End If
  Next i

  fnWndProc=DefWindowProc(hWnd,wMsg,wParam,lParam)
End Function


Sub AttachMessageHandlers()
  ReDim MsgHdlr(2) As MessageHandler  'Associate Windows Message With Message Handlers
  MsgHdlr(0).wMessage=%WM_CREATE   :   MsgHdlr(0).dwFnPtr=CodePtr(fnWndProc_OnCreate)
  MsgHdlr(1).wMessage=%WM_NOTIFY   :   MsgHdlr(1).dwFnPtr=CodePtr(fnWndProc_OnNotify)
  MsgHdlr(2).wMessage=%WM_CLOSE    :   MsgHdlr(2).dwFnPtr=CodePtr(fnWndProc_OnClose)
End Sub


Function PBMain() As Long
  Local szAppName As Asciiz*16
  Local hWnd,hIns As Dword
  Local wc As WndClassEx
  Local Msg As tagMsg

  hIns=GetModuleHandle("")
  szAppName="Form1"                               : Call AttachMessageHandlers()
  wc.lpszClassName=VarPtr(szAppName)              : wc.lpfnWndProc=CodePtr(fnWndProc)
  wc.cbClsExtra=0                                 : wc.cbWndExtra=0
  wc.style=%CS_HREDRAW Or %CS_VREDRAW             : wc.hInstance=hIns
  wc.cbSize=SizeOf(wc)                            : wc.hIcon=LoadIcon(%NULL, ByVal %IDI_APPLICATION)
  wc.hCursor=LoadCursor(%NULL, ByVal %IDC_ARROW)  : wc.hbrBackground=%COLOR_BTNFACE+1
  wc.lpszMenuName=%NULL
  Call RegisterClassEx(wc)
  hWnd=CreateWindow(szAppName,"Form1",%WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,200,100,325,300,0,0,hIns,ByVal 0)
  Call ShowWindow(hWnd,%SW_SHOWNORMAL)
  While GetMessage(Msg,%NULL,0,0)
    TranslateMessage Msg
    DispatchMessage Msg
  Wend

  Function=msg.wParam
End Function

[Gary Beene]

What I really like about this forum is that you can post a question and gets several answers - quick responses and useful answers.

What makes me grin about these forums is that you can post a request for something and get two dozen postings saying:

1 You don't really want that!
2 Why would anyone want that?
3 I don't want that
4 You shouldn't do it that way
5 What a bad idea
6 It's too hard
7 It won't work
8 It's not the way PowerBASIC works
9 It's not how I would do it
10 I already asked for it
11 PowerBASIC Inc would never do that
12 PowerBASIC Inc should not do that
13 Here is something better
14 It can't be done
15 You've asked for too much
16 You've asked for too little
17 I agree with what he said
18 What he said isn't right at all
19 What he said isn't quite right
20 I don't want to talk about that, instead, let's talk about this
21 That would be too easy
22 Real men like to type a lot
23 Real men type in API, SDK, assembly language, machine language, bits
24 You're not a real man
25 Where are the women in this forum? (sorry, off-topic on that one)
26 You could do that if you programmed in <language of your choice>
27 Do you realize what you're asking?

The one thing you absolutely do not get in these forums, is silence!

And genetics is out the door here. I can plant an idea and by the time I come back to see what grew I sometimes can't figure out what I planted!

But, I love to grin, so I'll keep posting my zany ideas. But in the future, all you have to do is say "#5", and I'll look at my list to see what that means! That would be consistent with my expressed love of succinct code!

(I stole that #5 idea from a joke about a prison that had only 1 joke book in the library, so when someone wanted to tell a joke, they just yelled out the # of the joke).

I have to go ... I'm working on the wording for another ... good idea?

Ok, I had my fun. Serious now. Thanks for all the feedback guys. I really do appreciate the exposed opinions and thinking that goes on behind the responses. It would be really boring if all I got were simple answers.

[Fred Harris]

#21