I'm having some difficulty with some subroutines I use to check if the text entered into an element is longer than the space available on the form where it will be printed.  I think it relates to where the type of variable is declared, and where the value is declared.  My understanding is a bit muddled.

I know the var type needs to be declared in the part of global code that defines the subroutine, just after the "Subroutine" statement, but do I need to declare a Stat as well at the beginning of Global code?  And do I need to declare the Var type in the element's programming, before the subroutine is called?  And just where is the best place to declare its starting value?

Thanks in advance.

I'll try to explain my current confusion.  When creating a subroutine in global code, we have to use Statics.  But if the figures or strings or whatever need to change when using it in an element, we need to use Variables.

So in Global code I declare my Stats, then write my subroutine to use the Stats.  But now to call it from an element I'm not sure what to do.

I don't have this problem with any of my subroutines that just use my element names directly, but as soon as I need to adjust something, say the size of the available space, I'm lost.  I'm sure I'm just misunderstanding something but I don't know what it is.

Scott,

If you don't need to retain the variable's value for use in another event or for use in another record (while navigating through the result set or adding new records), then you only need to declare the variable that the subroutine will be needing within that subroutine. You do not need to duplicate that declaration as a "Stat" in global code.

If you do need to retain the variable's value, then only declare it as a "Stat" in global code. You don't want to re-declare it again in the subroutine. If you declare a static variable named "A", and a regular variable within a subroutine also named "A", then the subroutine will use the one declared within it, not the static one declared in global code.

If a subroutine refers to variable "A", it will first try to use one that was declared within the subroutine. If there was no variable "A" declared inside the subroutine, it will then try to a static variable "A" declared in global code (assuming the subroutine definition is located in global code; otherwise, it will first try to use variable "A" delclared in the same event, then it will try to use one declared in global code).

I'm not sure if I made this clear, or if I muddied the waters more for you. Maybe a little demo will help. Try inserting this code into a test application.

Global Code:
Stat A as String = "Stat A (as declared in Global Code)"
Stat B as String = "Stat B (as declared in Global Code)"


SUBROUTINE MySubroutine()
Var A as String = "Var A (as declared in MySubroutine)"

WriteLn("Subroutine:")
WriteLn(A)
WriteLn(B)
WriteLn("")

End SUBROUTINE

MyCommandButton :: On Element Entry:
MySubroutine()

WriteLn("Event:")
WriteLn(A)
WriteLn(B)
WriteLn("")


When you click on the command button you should get this in the slate window:
Subroutine:
Var A (as declared in MySubroutine)
Stat B (as declared in Global Code)

Event:
Stat A (as declared in Global Code)
Stat B (as declared in Global Code)

Notice that the "A" variable from inside the subroutine was used by MySubroutine, but because "B" was not declared inside the subroutine, the static variable "B" from global code was used. Also, the static "A" was not changed by declaring variable "A" inside the subroutine. The WriteLn call in the event shows that the static "A" is still the same after the subroutine was run.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tip Erika. I wasn't aware of that (or I don't remember it, anyway).

Can we expect the Version 2 program editor to check for that?

Hmmm... I just tested it, and it seems to be re-initializing each time the form is opened. But I highly respect your opinion, and am sure you have good reason to say that; so I will avoid coding that way in the future.

Thanks again.