Re: %Elem(Array) vs. cCMLimit

If I'm traversing an entire array, I always try to use the %Elem().
However, there have been times when I have created constants for each array
element. For example,

Elem 4 would hold company total,
Elem 3 would hold region
Elem 2 would hold area
Elem 1 would hold unit.

Then I would code my loop as

for Location = Unit to Comp
   Array(location) ...
EndFor;



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             "Jeff Crosby"                                                 
             <jlcrosby@dilgard                                             
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                                       %Elem(Array) vs. cCMLimit           
                                                                           
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This isn't the most important question of our times, but I just wondered
what everyone else thought.

If I need to define more than one array, each array with the same number of
elements, I typically do this:

D cCMLimit        C                   20

D CM#             S              7  0 Dim(cCMLimit)
D IN#             S              7  0 Dim(cCMLimit)
D AMT             S              7  2 Dim(cCMLimit)

Then, later in my code, I always use the constant I created, like this:

For X = 1 To cCMLimit;
  <do something>
Endfor;

Or this:

If X <= cCMLimit;
  <do something>
Else;
  <do something else>
Endif;

It suddenly occurred to me that even though I used a constant to define the
size of the array, in the code I should still use %Elem like this:

For X = 1 To %Elem(CM#);
  <do something>
Endfor;

Because this makes it immediately apparent to any other programmer (or me 6
months down the road) that I'm traversing the entire array, whereas using a
constant doesn't imply that.

What do you think?

Enquiring minds want to know . . .

--
Jeff Crosby
Dilgard Frozen Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 13369
Ft. Wayne, IN 46868-3369
260-422-7531

The opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the opinion of my
company.  Unless I say so.


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