[V4REV] symbolic constants

[Robert Brenstein]

>On 5/13/05 2:52 AM, "Robert Brenstein" <rjb at robelko.com> wrote:
>
>>  c) instead of creating a hundred of variables, it may be better to
>>  create a single array variable, so there is only a single name to
>>  declare as global. Surely more user-friendly and more
>>  self-documenting. And we can get a list of all declared values in a
>>  single call, using the keys() function.
>
>Interesting!
>please show me in transcript itself how this can looks

Valentina has associative arrays:

put 3 into myArray["item1Name"]
add 1 to  myArray["item1Name"]

to see what elements an array has defined

answer the keys of myArray

We can also use split and combine to convert between normal vars and arrays.

>  > d) may be such a global should not be assigned automatically when
>>  Valentina external is called, if I follow your suggestion correctly,
>>  but there is be a function we call specifying the name of the array
>>  we want to be filled. First, you can't know whether we call
>>  debuglevel or init or version first. Second, we may want a different
>>  name for the global. Or we may prefer it to be local rather than
>>  global.
>
>Wait, 100 vars are create ONLY ONCE on Valentina Init call.
>

It does not matter that it is a single call. *I* want to control when 
and where (and if) you create it. Nothing personal :) I just don't 
like you doing things behind my back. Particularly with globals which 
can really be a source of conflicts or errors.

I may want

global gMyValConstants
put Valentina("Constants") into gMyValConstants
put Valentina("DebugLevel", gMyValConstants["kLogParam"])

or I may want

local cVal
put Valentina("Constants") into cVal
put Valentina("DebugLevel", cVal["kLogParam"])

or just

put Valentina("DebugLevel", 3) -- LogParam

With a single global, having your symbolic names identical as in RB 
will work just fine. Recalling any name which is not defined

Yes, using arrays require more typing but having a single global 
related to Valentina is a big plus IMHO. And what you propose is

put Valentina("DebugLevel", gValentina_kLogParam)

which is not any shorter to type.

Robert