Simple Classes and BSTR

[theNerd]

I like the changes being made for PureBasic 4.0. It's these changes that have led me to decide to ditch most other languages (except the mainstream ones I need for work.) However, I am wondering what your opinions\reasons in regards to the following are:

BSTR - I like that you have added this as a virtual type but is there any reason why it's not as a native type?

CLASSES - I know PureBasic is not intended to be an OOP language but incorporating classes does not necessarily mean it is an OOP language. For example, VBScript (so others are not confused, I am referring to the scripting language, not VB) is not OO but includes the ability to create classes. Here's a VBScript example of a class so you can see what I am talking about:

Code: Select all

'**********************************************************************************************************************
' Allows for the efficient (very fast) building/concatenating of String variables.
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Usage:
'	dim example
'	set example = new StringBuilder
'	example.Append("string 1")
'	example.Append(":")
'	example.Append("string 2")
'	
'	dim finalString
'	finalString = example.Value ' finalString = "string 1:string 2"
'	
'	set example = nothing
'**********************************************************************************************************************
Class StringBuilder
	Private StringCounter
	Private StringArray()
	Private StringLength
	
	' Called at creation of instance.
	Private Sub Class_Initialize()
		const INIT_STRING_LENGTH = 128
		StringCounter = 0
		
		ReDim StringArray(INIT_STRING_LENGTH - 1)
		StringLength = INIT_STRING_LENGTH
	End Sub
	
	Private Sub Class_Terminate()
		Erase StringArray
	End Sub

	' Add new string to array
	Public Sub Append(byref NewString)
		if IsNull(NewString) then
			StringArray(StringCounter) = ""
		else
			StringArray(StringCounter) = NewString
		end if
		
		StringCounter = StringCounter + 1
		
		' ReDim array if necessary
		If StringCounter MOD StringLength = 0 Then
			' Redimension
			ReDim Preserve StringArray(StringCounter + StringLength - 1)
			
			' Double the size of the array next time
			StringLength = StringLength * 2
		End If
	End Sub
	
	' Return the concatenated string
	Public Property Get Value
		Value = Join(StringArray, "")
	End Property 
	
	' Resets array
	Public Function Clear()
		const INIT_STRING_LENGTH = 128
		StringCounter = 0
		
		Redim StringArray(INIT_STRING_LENGTH - 1)
		StringLength = INIT_STRING_LENGTH
	End Function
End Class 

Is there any chance you will incorporate basic classes like this? I find them very useful when using VBScript for developing ASP pages. It can make for much cleaner code and can help eliminate speghetti logic.

[Joakim Christiansen]

We all want that
He might decide to make something like that one day, but I don't get the feeling we'll have it soon.