String return method

[netmaestro]

I've had a piece of code that I use all the time that is a list of Windows messages and their accompanying strings. The code used to run "If event = #WM_PAINT : m$+"WM_PAINT" : EndIf and it would return m$. This would, of course, not work with current versions of PB and Tailbite. I switched to including the file and calling it that way for several months, but I got tired of that. So I changed the code to work as a compiled library the same as it did before. This is what I did:

Code: Select all

Global  *strptr 
  
ProcedureDLL.i EventStr(event) 
  
  If Not *strptr
    *strptr = AllocateMemory(255)
  EndIf
  
  RtlZeroMemory_(*strptr, 255)
  
  *ptr = *strptr
  CopyMemoryString("",@*ptr)
  
  If event = #DM_SPECVERSION 
  CopyMemoryString("#DM_SPECVERSION ") 
  EndIf : If event = #DM_ORIENTATION 

  [...]

  ProcedureReturn *strptr

EndProcedure

And because this returns a pointer, I made the following compiled .res to go with it:

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Macro EventName(ev)
   PeekS ( EventStr(ev) )
EndMacro

So now when I type "Debug EventName(15)" I get "WM_PAINT" for output, just as I like it.

My question:

Is this the easiest way to overcome the string problem? Is there something simpler or better?

[lexvictory]

and it would return m$. This would, of course, not work with current versions of PB and Tailbite.

why not?


The only problem with strings (to my knowledge) is if you do something like this

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ProcedureDLL.s EventStr(event) 
  ProcedureReturn SomeString$ ;(or "some string")
EndProcedure

ProcedureDLL.s SomeOtherProcDLLFunction()
  ProcedureReturn EventStr(123)
EndProcedure