How to simplify visual aspect of code?

[Gary Beene]

I'm writing code with an array Dim'd as a UDT, where I access the value with this nomenclature:

D(i).x
D(i).y

To simplify the visual aspect of my code, I'd like to use a single letter such as X or Y in place of the D(i).X and D(i).Y nomenclature, where I have to set the current element of the array somehow.

Does PowerBASIC allow two variables to share the same address space, or have some other feature which would let me do what I want?

I thought of using a macro, but assumed it would mess up other statements which should contain an X or Y (such as MsgBox).

[Scott Slater]

Not a single character, but you could use a pointer.

LOCAL X AS DWORD PTR  ' Use proper variable type ie. LONG DWORD, etc.

X = VARPTR(D(i).X)

@X = 99   '  D(i).X = 99

[Michael Mattias]

Well, UNIONs allow two named variables to share the same memory space...but...

I thought of using a macro, but assumed it would mess up other statements which should contain an X or Y (such as MsgBox

Well, if you used "X" or "Y" it would. Just use some token not likely to occur. I "assume" your desire here is to eliminate the PITA typing required..... dix is easier to type than d(i).X if you ask me.

MACRO  DIX =  D(i).X 
MACRO  DIY =  D(i).Y 

   FOR I  = one to many 
        Z(i)  = DIX * DIY
   NEXT

If you really wanted to get fancy you could use PTR vars

 LOCAL pD AS MYTYPE PTR 
  REDIM D (somenumber) AS Mytype 

  pd =  VARPTR (D (0)) 
  FOR I = one to many_not_to_exceed_UBOUND 
      Z(I) =  @pD.X * @pD.Y 
      INCR pD 
  NEXT

MCM

[Gary Beene]

Hey guys - quick responses - thanks!

The pointer would mean that I have to set X each time i changes, so that might not simplify as much as I had in mind.

The use of a 3-letter macro avoids the simple single-letter problem I noted, and DIX (or something like it) is certainly easier to type than D(i).x.

Looks like a macro can pretty much get me there.