Difference between revisions of "Documentation/BASIC Guide/Boolean"

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}}<!-- {{DISPLAYTITLE:Working with Variables -->
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}}<!-- {{DISPLAYTITLE:Boolean Variables -->
  
==True and False==
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=Boolean Variables=
 
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===Boolean Variables===
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Boolean variables can only contain one of two values: True or False. They are suitable for binary specifications that can only adopt one of two statuses. A Boolean value is saved internally as a two-byte integer value, where 0 corresponds to the False and any other value to True. There is no type declaration symbol for Boolean variables. The declaration can only be made using the supplement As Boolean.
 
Boolean variables can only contain one of two values: True or False. They are suitable for binary specifications that can only adopt one of two statuses. A Boolean value is saved internally as a two-byte integer value, where 0 corresponds to the False and any other value to True. There is no type declaration symbol for Boolean variables. The declaration can only be made using the supplement As Boolean.
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  Dim Variable As Boolean
 
  Dim Variable As Boolean
 
 
 
 
Data Fields
 
 
 
In addition to simple variables (scalars), {{OOo}} Basic also supports data fields (arrays). A data field contains several variables, which are addressed through an index.
 
 
Simple Arrays
 
 
 
An array declaration is similar to that of a simple variable declaration. However, unlike the variable declaration, the array name is followed by parentheses which contain the specifications for the number of elements. The expression
 
 
 
Dim MyArray(3)
 
 
 
declares an array that has four variables of the variant data type, namely MyArray(0), MyArray(1), MyArray(2), and MyArray(3).
 
 
 
You can also declare type-specific variables in an array. For example, the following line declares an array with four integer variables:
 
 
 
Dim MyInteger(3) As Integer
 
 
 
In the previous examples, the index for the array always begins with the standard start value of zero. As an alternative, a validity range with start and end values can be specified for the data field declaration. The following example declares a data field that has six integer values and which can be addressed using the indexes 5 to 10:
 
 
 
Dim MyInteger(5 To 10)
 
 
 
The indexes do not need to be positive values. The following example also shows a correct declaration, but with negative data field limits:
 
 
 
Dim MyInteger(-10 To -5)
 
 
 
It declares an integer data field with 6 values that can be addressed using the indexes -10 to -5.
 
 
 
There are three limits that you must observe when you define data field indexes:
 
 
 
<nowiki>*</nowiki>
 
 
 
The smallest possible index is -32768.
 
 
<nowiki>*</nowiki>
 
 
 
The largest possible index is 32767.
 
 
<nowiki>*</nowiki>
 
 
 
The maximum number of elements (within a data field dimension) is 16368.
 
 
 
Note - Other limit values sometimes apply for data field indexes in VBA. The same also applies to the maximum number of elements possible per dimension. The values valid there can be found in the relevant VBA documentation.
 
 
Specified Value for Start Index
 
 
 
The start index of a data field usually begins with the value 0. Alternatively, you can change the start index for all data field declarations to the value 1 by using the call:
 
 
 
Option Base 1
 
 
 
The call must be included in the header of a module if you want it to apply to all array declarations in the module. However, this call does not affect the UNO sequences that are defined through the {{OOo}} API whose index always begins with 0. To improve clarity, you should avoid using Option Base 1.
 
 
 
The number of elements in an array is not affected if you use Option Base 1, only the start index changes. The declaration
 
 
 
Option Base 1
 
 
' ...
 
 
Dim MyInteger(3)
 
 
 
creates 4 integer variables which can be described with the expressions MyInteger(1), MyInteger(2), MyInteger(3), and MyInteger(4).
 
 
 
Note - In {{OOo}} Basic, the expression Option Base 1 does not affect the number of elements in an array as it does in VBA. It is, rather, the start index which moves in {{OOo}} Basic. While the declaration MyInteger(3) creates three integer values in VBA with the indexes 1 to 3, the same declaration in {{OOo}} Basic creates four integer values with the indexes 1 to 4. By using Option Compatible, {{OOo}} Basic behaves like VBA.
 
 
Multi-Dimensional Data Fields
 
 
 
In addition to single dimensional data fields, {{OOo}} Basic also supports work with multi-dimensional data fields. The corresponding dimensions are separated from one another by commas. The example
 
 
 
Dim MyIntArray(5, 5)
 
 
 
defines an integer array with two dimensions, each with 6 indexes (can be addressed through the indexes 0 to 5). The entire array can record a total of 6 x 6 = 36 integer values.
 
 
 
Although you can define hundreds of dimensions in {{OOo}} Basic Arrays; however, the amount of available memory limits the number of dimensions you can have.
 
 
Dynamic Changes in the Dimensions of Data Fields
 
 
 
The previous examples are based on data fields of a specified dimension. You can also define arrays in which the dimension of the data fields dynamically changes. For example, you can define an array to contain all of the words in a text that begin with the letter A. As the number of these words is initially unknown, you need to be able to subsequently change the field limits. To do this in {{OOo}} Basic, use the following call:
 
 
 
ReDim MyArray(10)
 
 
 
Note - Unlike VBA, where you can only dimension dynamic arrays by using Dim MyArray(), {{OOo}} Basic lets you change both static and dynamic arrays using ReDim.
 
 
 
The following example changes the dimension of the initial array so that it can record 11 or 21 values:
 
 
 
Dim MyArray(4) As Integer ' Declaration with five elements
 
 
 
' ...
 
 
 
ReDim MyArray(10) As Integer ' Increase to 11 elements
 
 
 
' ...
 
 
 
ReDim MyArray(20) As Integer ' Increase to 21 elements
 
 
 
When you reset the dimensions of an array, you can use any of the options outlined in the previous sections. This includes declaring multi-dimensional data fields and specifying explicit start and end values. When the dimensions of the data field are changed, all contents are lost. If you want to keep the original values, use the Preserve command:
 
 
 
Dim MyArray(10) As Integer ' Defining the initial
 
 
' dimensions
 
 
 
' ...
 
 
 
ReDim Preserve MyArray(20) As Integer ' Increase in
 
 
' data field, while
 
 
' retaining content
 
 
 
When you use Preserve, ensure that the number of dimensions and the type of variables remain the same.
 
 
 
Note - Unlike VBA, where only the upper limit of the last dimension of a data field can be changed through Preserve, {{OOo}} Basic lets you change other dimensions as well.
 
 
 
If you use ReDim with Preserve, you must use the same data type as specified in the original data field declaration.
 

Revision as of 18:58, 25 September 2007


Boolean Variables

Boolean variables can only contain one of two values: True or False. They are suitable for binary specifications that can only adopt one of two statuses. A Boolean value is saved internally as a two-byte integer value, where 0 corresponds to the False and any other value to True. There is no type declaration symbol for Boolean variables. The declaration can only be made using the supplement As Boolean.

Example declaration of a Boolean variable:

Dim Variable As Boolean
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