Logic to resolve variables.

[EricGB]

Hi,

I am not very familiar yet with the method(s) used in Macro Scheduler to resolve variables.
I have already seen very interesting topics about usage of %-signs, one of them is that you better not use them unless they are really necessary.

But before I was aware of that, I did the experiments below.
Some are not useful at all, but I used them to show the cases I wanted:

Code: Select all

Let>VAREXPLICIT=0
let>a=b
//a == "b"  immediate value for  b  not found, so  "b"  is result
let>b=c
//b == "c"
let>cb=CitBand
//cb == "CitBand"
let>x=a
//x == "b"  immediate value for  a  found, so it is apparantly used
let>x=%a%
//x == "c"  immediate value for  %a%  not found, so translate 
//          embedded variables:
//          %a% --> "B"
//          then immediate value for  B  found, so  C  is result.
let>x=%a%%b%
//x == "bc" immediate value for  %a%%b%  not found, so translate
//          embedded variables:
//          %a% --> "B",  %b% --> "C"
//          then immediate value for  BC  not found, so  BC  is result.
let>x=%b%%a%
//x == "CitBand"! immediate value for  %b%%a%  not found, so 
//          translate embedded variables:
//          %a% --> "B",  %b% --> "C"
//          then immediate value for  CB  found, so  "CitBand"  is result.
let>x= %b%%a%
//x == " cb" : immediate value for  " %b%%a%"  not found, so translate
//          embedded variables:
//          %a% --> "B",  %b% --> "C"
//          then immediate value for  " cb"  not found, so  " cb"  is result.

Code: Select all

Let>VAREXPLICIT=0
let>e%dos%=ThisIsEdos
let>onetwo=12
let>dos=two
let>x=e%dos%
//x == "ThisIsEdos"  immediate value for  e%dos%  found, 
//          so result is  "ThisIsEdos"
//          Note that "%dos%" is not translated here, 
//          else result would have been "etwo".
let>x=ne%dos%
//x == "netwo"      immediate value for  ne%dos%  not found, so 
//                  translate embedded variable(s)
//                  %dos% --> "two"
//                  then immediate value for  "netwo"  not found, 
//                  so it becomes the result.
let>x=one%dos%
//x == "12"         immediate value for  one%dos%  not found, so 
//                  translate embedded variables
//                  %dos% --> "two"
//                  then immediate value for  "onetwo"  found, so result is  "12"

Are there mistakes in the comments I added after each statement?
Any other comments?

Regards,
Eric.

[Dick99999]

I did not go through all resolutions, you could easily write the executable statements and check the result by using MDL>. It does trigger though a thought about string and substitution. MS now supports at least 2 modes:

- Automatic, substitution takes place whenever a variable has an assigned value. When it has not it is automatically considered to be a string.
- Explicit where all variables have to be embedded in percent signs to be substituted.

What I miss is a possibly third variation: explicit string. Variables are substituted and never considered to be a string. A string is quoted like in many programming languages.
My experience is that the auto mode gives more problems than advantages and the explicit mode is cumbersome to type and to read. So any support for the explicit string mode?

And while we are at this issue: an explicit reference to a global variable (perhaps $var) within localvars would be welcome too.

[Marcus Tettmar]

Explicit strings:

Let>mystring={"hello world"}

Or

Send>{"this is a string"}

MessageModal>{"definitely a string"}

[Dick99999]

Explicit strings:

Let>mystring={"hello world"}

Or

Send>{"this is a string"}

MessageModal>{"definitely a string"}

Indeed, and I use that, however
- I thought that {} is used for complex expressions, any penalty or side effect of using it for strings?
- That only resolves the 'this is a string' resolution, not the substitution issue i.e. mystring=my should not result in {"my"} even is it is not assigned, I think...