Case Sensitives Variables etc..

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Wed Jan 16, 2002 10:59 pm

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by fred.

Dear PB users,

I'm thinking to change the way how PB handle Variables, Procedures, Constants Structures, LinkedList and Array names. For now, all is case sensitive which means than 'myVariable' is different than 'MYVARIABLE'. I think it could produce more error code and stupid mistakes. All will be case insensitive. What do you think ?

Fred - AlphaSND

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Wed Jan 16, 2002 11:08 pm

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Don.

Hi Fred

I think this would be a good idea. I use mixed case variables etc. and a few times I have accidentally changed the case of 1 letter which means that PB thinks I'm using a new variable - which defaults to zero and causes nasty problems. This has happened to me a few times, so I'm in favour of making them case insensitive. Also, I think this might make PB more consistent with other Basics.

Don

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Wed Jan 16, 2002 11:11 pm

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by PB.

All will be case insensitive. What do you think ?

Yep, do it. I code in all lowercase anyway ("messagerequester", variables, etc)
because it's faster to type that way. (I only post here in mixed case for the
benefit of others who may find all lowercase harder to read).

PB - Registered PureBasic Coder

Edited by - PB on 16 January 2002 23:12:14

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Wed Jan 16, 2002 11:15 pm

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Fangbeast.

Dear PB users,

I'm thinking to change the way how PB handle Variables, Procedures, Constants Structures, LinkedList and Array names. For now, all is case sensitive which means than 'myVariable' is different than 'MYVARIABLE'. I think it could produce more error code and stupid mistakes. All will be case insensitive. What do you think ?

Fred - AlphaSND

I agree too. I make too many stupid muistakes due to typing and then spending hours fixing it up. I don't usually type all lowercase because I like to emphasize the code or function that I am working on but that leads to typing errors. Thanks Fred!

Fangles

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Wed Jan 16, 2002 11:53 pm

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Pupil.

Hi Fred.

This sounds good, as it only makes sense to have case sensitive variables if you have to predefine all your variables i.e. the compiler tells you if a variable is not defined. Now you can get all sorts of trouble if one letter in a variable differ in lower or upper case.
That procedures,structures,linkedlists and arrays are case sensitive is not a problem because the compiler tells if you've made a mistake in those cases.

What would be great, i think, is if you could have the option to predefine all variables you use and the compiler tells if you're trying to use an undefined variable. This would prevent stupid typing mistakes like 'variable.l' becoming 'varible.l'. Such typing mistakes can easily lead to errors that is hard to find. This method would be optional and you should be able to choose not to use it. Perhaps it could be controlled/(turned on) by a keyword at the top of your code like this:

Code: Select all

PreDefine ; Keyword we want to check our variables

Structure Test
  x.w
  y.w
EndStructure

DefineVar ; starts the defining zone
  a.l
  b.w
  c.Test
  ...
EndDefineVar ; end defining zone

...
Procedure TestProc(arg1.l,arg2.l)
  DefineVar ; New define zone, only for local variables
    x.w,y.w,z.l
  EndDefineVar
  ...
EndProcedure
...
End

Anyway just som ideas. For starters, making variables case insensitive will help alot.

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 12:05 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by fred.

It's ok, I will change all that. About the Predefine Keyword, why not it's a good idea. I'm thinking to use only one keyword (Predefine) and all variables followed by a type (.f, .l etc..) will be considered as declared. All variables with no type and undeclared will lead a compiler error. Right ?

Fred - AlphaSND

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 12:21 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Franco.

For starters, making variables case insensitive will help alot.

That's right, but ... ups I like case sensitive. I like a high quality of written code. (I'm the only one? My name is NOT Tigger!)
Fred, if you can do it without spending half of your life, can you install a compiler switch under the menu compiler options for doing that?
So if a code is not working, but it should, anybody can switch to case insensitive.
And if the code is running well the coder knows what happend.

What do you think?

Have a nice day...
Franco

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 12:43 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Pupil.

It's ok, I will change all that. About the Predefine Keyword, why not it's a good idea. I'm thinking to use only one keyword (Predefine) and all variables followed by a type (.f, .l etc..) will be considered as declared. All variables with no type and undeclared will lead a compiler error. Right ?

Right! Just to make everything clear, you have to predefine the variables in the procedures separately, so if for example 'variable.l' is defined at the top of the program(and isn't Global) you shouldn't be able to use it in a procedure.
I'll show two examples:

Code: Select all

;this is legal
PreDefine variable.l

Procedure test(arg.l)
PreDefine variable.l
  variable=variable+arg ; i.e. arg.l is in a sense predefined in this procedure
  ...
EndProcedure

;this is not legal
Predefine variable.l

Procedure test(arg.l)
  variable=variable+arg ; 'variable' is not locally predefined and isn't global
                        ;or shared!
  ...
endprocedure

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 1:44 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by fred.

Hello Franco,

I like Variable sensitive too, but even with variable insensitive you could write good formatted (high quality) code. It just make the code much more error proof in case of you do a spelling mistake. In don't want to make a switch because it would say than a program which work in case sensitive mode (imagine you use myVariable and MYVARIABLE like 2 differents one) willn't work in case insensitive mode. PureBasic will follow this BASIC concept and AFAIK it's the default behavior for other BASIC language. I've started this topic by seeing your post about the constant #PB_KEY_SPACE

. BTW, I've done some mistake myself about bad var naming so it should solve this in a clean way.

Fred - AlphaSND

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 1:46 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by fred.

Hello Pupil,

My idea was to only put one directive (PreDefine) at the top of the source code and that's all. So all variables must be typed at their first use. Not good ?

Fred - AlphaSND

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 2:21 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by PB.

My idea was to only put one directive (PreDefine) at the top of the source code and that's all. So all variables must be typed at their first use. Not good ?

I like it.

PB - Registered PureBasic Coder

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 5:07 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Steve.

Predefine directive .
Fred
Yes please!
This would be so good. No more having to double check
variable names and wasting time looking for weird bugs.
It would be the Bees Knees!

Steve

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 7:43 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Rings.

My idea was to only put one directive (PreDefine) at the top of the source code and that's all. So all variables must be typed at their first use. Not good ?

like Option Explicite in VB ?
yes do it fred.
most of my beginner-mistakes are case sensitive Problems.

Siggi

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 8:44 am

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by Pupil.

Hello Pupil,

My idea was to only put one directive (PreDefine) at the top of the source code and that's all. So all variables must be typed at their first use. Not good ?

Fred - AlphaSND

Well, your idea is probably the easisest to implement with minimum of changes to the compiler code. So go for it!

BackupUser · Post by **BackupUser** » Fri Jan 18, 2002 2:08 pm

Restored from previous forum. Originally posted by tranquil.

I need to declare all my vars at the top of my code??? Oh Fred, please make this optional!

Mike

Tranquilizer/ Secretly!
Registred PureBasic User