Class / Function comparison

[jcfuller]

I hope this will give some insight on the advantages of Class usage as it pertains to me in one specific category.I am getting up there in age and my memory, never too good to begin with, is really starting to annoy. Having to remember the number and position of parameters is frustrating.
One of the new additions, "DISPLAY OPENFILE" looked like a particularly good candidate to encapsulate in a class. I list here a Class and a standard function that do essentially the same thing. The problem with the Function; I still have to remember parameter type and position for anything other than the default. Also you can't skip parameters even if they are all optional.

James

'SED_PBWIN
#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
#IF NOT %DEF(%Prop_MACROS)
    %Prop_MACROS = 1
    MACRO PropGet(PropName,PropType)=PROPERTY GET PropName() AS PropType:PROPERTY=PropName:END PROPERTY
    MACRO PropSet(PropName,PropType)=PROPERTY SET PropName(BYVAL param AS PropType):PropName=param:END PROPERTY
#ENDIF
'******************************************************************************
'Uses CLASS METHOD CREATE -> Do not use as a base class
'******************************************************************************
CLASS cDisplayOpenFile
    INSTANCE sFileName,Folder,Filter,Start,DflExt,Title AS STRING
    INSTANCE hParent,Flags AS LONG

    CLASS METHOD CREATE
        Filter = CHR$("All Files",0,"*.*",0)
        Flags = %OFN_EXPLORER OR %OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST
        Title = "Select File"
    END METHOD

    INTERFACE iDisplayOpenFile : INHERIT IUNKNOWN    
        PropSet(Folder,STRING)
        PropSet(Filter,STRING)
        PropSet(hParent,DWORD)
        PropSet(DflExt,STRING)
        PropSet(Start,STRING)
        PropSet(Title,STRING)
        PropSet(Flags,DWORD)
        METHOD GetName() AS STRING
            DISPLAY  OPENFILE hParent,,,Title,Folder,Filter,Start,DflExt,Flags TO sFileName
            METHOD = sFileName
        END METHOD
    END INTERFACE
END CLASS
'******************************************************************************
'Using a Function
'******************************************************************************
FUNCTION fDisplayOpenFile(OPT   lhParent     AS LONG, _
                                sTitle       AS STRING, _
                                sFolder      AS STRING, _
                                sFilter      AS STRING, _
                                sStart       AS STRING, _
                                sDflExt      AS STRING, _
                                lFlags       AS LONG) AS STRING

    LOCAL sFileName,Folder,Filter,Start,DflExt,Title AS STRING
    LOCAL hParent,Flags AS LONG

    IF ISMISSING(lhParent) THEN    
        hParent = 0
    ELSE
        hParent = lhParent
    END IF    
    IF ISMISSING(sTitle) THEN
        Title = "Select File"
    ELSE
        Title = sTitle
    END IF
    IF ISMISSING(sFolder) THEN
        Folder = ""
    ELSE
        Folder = sFolder
    END IF
    IF ISMISSING(sFilter) THEN
        Filter    = CHR$("All Files",0,"*.*",0)
    ELSE
        Filter = sFilter
    END IF
    IF ISMISSING(sStart) THEN
        Start = ""
    ELSE
        Start = sStart
    END IF
    IF ISMISSING(sDflExt) THEN
        DflExt = ""
    ELSE
        DflExt = sDflExt
    END IF
    IF ISMISSING(lFlags) THEN
        Flags = %OFN_EXPLORER OR %OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST
    ELSE
        Flags = lFlags
    END IF        
                    
    DISPLAY  OPENFILE hParent,,,Title,Folder,Filter,Start,DflExt,Flags TO sFileName
    FUNCTION = sFileName
    
END FUNCTION                                

FUNCTION PBMAIN()
    LOCAL oGetFile AS iDisplayOpenFile
    LOCAL sFile AS STRING

'First the Class using all defaults
    oGetFile = CLASS "cDisplayOpenFile"
    sFile = oGetFile.GetName
    ?sFile

'Now the Function using all defaults
    sFile = fDisplayOpenFile 
    ?sFile

'Now the Class with a new filter, title And Flags
    oGetFile.Filter = CHR$("BASIC", 0, "*.BAS;*.INC", 0)
    oGetFile.Title = "Please Select a Basic File using The Class Interface"
    oGetFile.Flags = %OFN_EXPLORER OR %OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST
    sFile = oGetFile.GetName
    ?sFile

'The Function
'Even though all parameters are optional you cant skip
' Not Valid  ->  fDisplayOpenFile ,,,CHR$("BASIC", 0, "*.BAS;*.INC", 0)
'You have to send a BYVAL 0 for all the preceeding
'And you have to remember the exact paramater order 

    sFile = fDisplayOpenFile(BYVAL 0, _
                             "Please Select a Basic File using The Function" , _
                             BYVAL 0, _
                             CHR$("BASIC", 0, "*.BAS;*.INC", 0), _
                             BYVAL 0, _
                             BYVAL 0, _
                             %OFN_EXPLORER OR %OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST)
    ?sFile                         
END FUNCTION