Re: Exported Variables (was Long Constant Names)

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 14:12:48 -0500, Paul Morgan <pmorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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.

what are the reflection APIs?

on the broader topic of exporting of variables, isnt it always better
for a module to provide a set of exported procedures that allow
controled access to a global variable in a module?

Such a procedure, like "GetGlobalVariable" would make the global
variable accessible to any other procedure or program.  not just to to
procedures within the same service program.

-Steve