Re: Exported Variables (was Long Constant Names)

Barbara,

After a little thinking/research here's a couple of benefits:

1) Some built in functions won't accept a constant value but require a
variable.  %SUBDT is an example.

2) Different results from %LEN or %SIZE BIFs.  The constant would give me
the length/size of the constant value.  The variable would provide the
length/size of the variable which would be different than the constant value
stored in that variable.  (are these BIFs resolved at compile time or run
time?)

3) The variable could be used in a LIKE definition. (but if type and length
are not exported then this won't work)

4) You could pass the variable as a parameter to a subprocedure which
requres a 'by reference' variable.

I'd also like to mention the possibility of Reflection APIs on service
programs if variable type/length were exported (including procedure
variables).  Could do some very interesting things with that API.

Paul

-- 
Paul Morgan
Senior Programmer Analyst - Retail
J. Jill Group
100 Birch Pond Drive, PO Box 2009
Tilton, NH 03276-2009
Phone: (603) 266-2117
Fax:   (603) 266-2333

"Barbara Morris" wrote:

> Paul Morgan wrote:
> >
> > Wouldn't an exported constant Variable have other attributes such as
type,
> > length, etc?  That's more than just a copied Constant's value and does
have
> > a benefit.
> >
>
> What benefit?  In an earlier post on this thread, I was going to say the
> exact same thing about type and length, but I couldn't think of any
> reason that would be useful.