Static UDT-idea & more

[ReneMiner]

Because UDTs can have static members too I came to an idea that reminds a little to vb. There constant enumerations work like the following example:



Enum Direction [As Long]
Left = 1
Right
Up
Down
End Enum


imagine this translated to tB:


Type Direction
Static Left As Long = 1 ' i know currently not possible to assign value here
Static Right As Long ' will be 2 now...
Static Up As Long ' these anyway will remain constantly same value
Static Down as Long
End Type


thereafter in vb it's not necessary to "Dim anyVar As Direction" but one can use instantly


doSomething( Direction.Up ) ' assume doSomething is a Sub here...


now what's better about this then the current way as below?



Begin Const
%Direction_Left = 1
%Direction_Right
%Direction_Up
%Direction_Down
End Const


imagine to have some autocomplete-function in some (still to develop) smart thinBasic-IDE that will bring up a list of possible subitems of types, classes and enumerations when pushing the dot-key (.) Some IDE that not just lists Udts, Functions, Subs and Callbacks in codebrowser but also only shows one function or declarations-section only per code-window, one, that is "project-oriented" - means, it loads all used #include-files to editor and also has a variables-list-tab next to codebrowser that shows global and local to current functions variables & their types. "Declarations-section" is just like code that is not contained within any function.

One that inserts "Then" automatic when user types "If ". Just push like Shift+TAB-Key to jump behind the "Then" or Shift+Return-Key to go into the next line without adding code behind "Then". The IDE will be smart enough to add some "EndIf" one line below if nothing follows "Then" . And of course - if one types "ElseIf " - automatic "Then" added too. Same behaviour of course when codeline in declarations section starts with Function/Sub/Callback Function: It'll automatic switch from declarations-section to the new Functions/Subs code and of course it has "End Function/End Sub" added automatically then.
Another feature: Pushing double-quote will automatic make double-quotes twice- one at current caret-position and one thereafter- press Shift+Tab here also to get out of the quoted part in same line, Shift+Return will jump out of the quoted part into the next line while just return will move the end-quote into the next line.
Of course all "Begin" will automatic add the "End" - no matter if Select Case, While, Do or whatever. And as mentioned - typing a dot outside quotes will bring up a list of possible members to choose from.

Oh yes, I forgot... the variables-list (tab next to codebrowser) inserts on click on a listed variable even this variable at current caret position. Variables list looks somewhat like this:



' this is source code
' Declarations-Section
#Include "thinBasic_gl.Inc"

Type t_vec3d
X As Double
Y As Double
Z As Double
Static num As Long ' holds "number_of_myVecs"
Test as Function
End Type

Dim keepRunning As Boolean = True
Dim myVec() As t_vec3d

Dim foo as String = "Byte"
'...

' this is current edited function displayed in code-editor
Function Vec3d_GetID( Byval X as Double, Byval Y as Double, Byval Z as Double) As Long

Local lID As Long
Local toFind As t_Vec3d

' just for Fun:
Dim noSense Like foo

toFind.X = X
toFind.Y = Y
toFind.Z = Z


If toFind.num > 0 Then
lID = Array Scan myVec For toFind.num, Byte(1, SizeOf(t_vec3d)), = toFind
EndIf

If lID Then
' found this vec3d:
Return lID
Endif

' need a new one...

If toFind.num = 0 Or toFind.num >= UBound(myVec) Then
' allocate more space if reach UBound
ReDim Preserve myVec(toFind.num + 1000)
EndIf
toFind.num += 1
myVec(toFind.num) = toFind

Function = toFind.num

End Function


' #####################################
' this is variables list, another Tab next to codebrowser, "local" depends on current edited function:

Global

keepRunning, Boolean
myVec, t_vec3d, Array
foo, String

Local

X, Double, parameter ByVal
Y, Double, parameter ByVal
Z, Double, parameter ByVal

lID, Long
toFind, t_vec3d
noSense, Variable

' clicking onto a variable here will insert it to code-window at current caret position

' #####################################
' and this is codebrowser-tree, all expanded and contains lots of information

-Project "myProject" ' equals a folders name on HD
-Includes
"MAIN.tBasic"
"thinBasic_gl.Inc"
-UDTs
-t_Vec3d
X As Double
Y As Double
Z As Double
Static num As Long
Test As Function
-Declarations
-"thinBasic_gl.Inc"
Function glAreTexturesResident
Function gl... there's a lot of...
Sub glAccum
Sub gl... also a whole lot of subs declared within thinBasic_gl.Inc...
-Functions
-"MAIN.tBasic"
TBMain '(this always listed as first)
Vec3d_GetID
+Subs
+Callbacks
+Notes


Difference is, all Functions, UDTs etc of all to project #Includeds are listed in this tree, oriented to the whole project.

OK, that went a little out to some more than just constant type-lists abusing static udt-members as global const enumerations, but I think it contains ideas...
I'm still not sure which software (i.e. "Control") to use to write this editor, currently I prototype in TBGL(2d) because RTF is cumbersome as hell and common textbox does not allow colored code. (now since optional parameters in Type-functions work, my new nodes also work finally and also my TBGL-Treeview-Gadget ;) - but coding itself in a TB-written editor is a little lagging, especially when it comes to create the list of possible expressions for autocomplete and on re-scanning the current function for "AS" and "LIKE" on every Return-Key hit and always re-scan if a section of code was marked before...(think of CTRL+X etc.) or if CTRL+V was pushed.

I hope one of you can see the need of some smart IDE too, one that offers a lot of overview, minimizes the amount of bugs where possible (automatic parenthesis-count in codelines, adding End to any started etc.) and increases coding speed also. Still a lot to do... maybe someone with some experience in creating coding environments will overtake and be faster...

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Rene,

I agree with your argument 100%, but I would prefer to have ENUM instead of having it in TYPE. Even latest PowerBASIC has implemented it this way, and I consider it good.
No need to come with new syntax, let's follow the VB/PB style - it is clear.

What I would add is to make possible to declare variable as ENUM - it will allow great run time checking opportunities. Imagine this:


Enum Direction
Left = 1
Right
Up
Down
End Enum

Dim myVar As Direction

myVar = Direction.Left ' -- Valid
myVar = 1 ' -- Valid, it matches the enum range
myVar = 5 ' -- Triggers run time error / exception, because you assigned out of range



Petr

[Charles Pegge]

Incidentally, thinBasic supports static members within Types. Good for keeping global-space clean. Assign any value to the static member of a variable, then all other variables of the same type will see it.



type StatType
a as long
static b as long
end type




sub ff()
dim as StatType f
f.b=4
end sub


sub gg()
dim as StatType g
msgbox 0,g.b 'result 4
end sub


ff()
gg() '4

[ReneMiner]

Hi Rene,

I agree with your argument 100%, but I would prefer to have ENUM instead of having it in TYPE. Even latest PowerBASIC has implemented it this way, and I consider it good.
No need to come with new syntax, let's follow the VB/PB style - it is clear.

What I would add is to make possible to declare variable as ENUM - it will allow great run time checking opportunities. Imagine this:


Enum Direction
Left = 1
Right
Up
Down
End Enum

Dim myVar As Direction

myVar = Direction.Left ' -- Valid
myVar = 1 ' -- Valid, it matches the enum range
myVar = 5 ' -- Triggers run time error / exception, because you assigned out of range



Petr

That's different. There's no need to "dim myVar as Direction" and it would not make much sense I think, but the Direction-enumeration can be used instantly as such. Of course it should be constant and it's just to "group members of the same family" into some readable expression. Static UDT-abusement is not the way it should work finally, but a step on the way to get there since it's organized similar.
In the example above


Dim myVar as Direction

can be translated in mind only through


Dim myVar as Long

because there's no myVar.Left, myVar.Up etc but you can use


Dim myVar as Long Value Direction.Down

and as soon as one has typed the dot and tokenizer recognizes the thing before the dot as some unquoted string it compares all global in current project dimensioned and all local in current function dimensioned udt-variables if there name matches (exception "Me" - there just check of which udt the function is, contained in the current functions name) and pops up some list of the members to choose from, either mousewheel+click or arrowkeys + shift & right arrow to pick, shift & backspace removes dot and token. Any other key closes the list and continues accepting usual type-in.
Now would be nice to use that feature on enumerations too.
I tried like tokens that start with "%" and to popup the list when "_" (underscore) is typed, but this is very much lagging and annoying, especially when typing stuff like "%WS_Ex_..." because it pops up the list too early ("%WS_...") and shows also members of the "wrong family" to choose from then... I want it to be smarter somehow.

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Rene,

I think these two concepts do not collide - both would be valid:


Enum Direction
Left = 1
Right
Up
Down
End Enum

Dim myVar1 As Direction = Direction.Down
Dim myVar2 As Long = Direction.Down


The first would internally initialize myVar1 as Long but with range checking enabled (in this case values in range 1..4 would be valid), the second would be check free and work as you specified.


Petr

[Charles Pegge]

OxygenBasic originally had dot enumerations, like types, but I pulled this feature, when I saw that C does not use them, and there were few situations where they were an improvement over simple enum/equates.

This is what it looked like (Generated a lot of complexity inside the compiler!)



enum fruit
orange=1
lemon
apple
pear
end enum




print fruit.lemon '2


dim as fruit f=apple


print f '3


function ShowFruit(fruit fr)
print fr '3
select case fr
case fruit.orange: print "orange"
case fruit.lemon: print "lemon"
...
end select
end function


ShowFruit f

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Charles,

yes, this is very close to what I would like to see.
I think it is very practical - especially when the bound checking would be implemented.


Petr

[Charles Pegge]

Hi Petr, Rene,

It looks good in theory, and it's logical, but I think that in practice, it has limited uses because it is a static equate and easily substituted by using name prefixes instead of type-dots eg: Fruit_lemon


Keeping these symbols as simple integer equate avoids a lot a hassle with type matching and other language considerations.

Actually, Oxygen will support whole dotted names, so thay can be used if so desired, but it's an experimental thing and I am not sure I would recommend it, since dots normally denote compound variable members.

Though it might give you the desired semantics, and is quite easy to implement.

enum fruit
fruit.orange=1
fruit.lemon
fruit.apple
fruit.pear
end enum


int f=fruit.apple '3


print f