Why do I get a "missing separator character after keyword" error?

[skylark]

I've searched through the AutoIt help file, and I've searched through this forum without finding an answer.

Please could someone tell me why I get a "missing seperator character after keyword" error in the line below?

for position = ( 0 + stub ) to seglength step gap

What is the key word, and what would the missing character be? I spaced out the text with spaces around the = and + and (), still get the error.

This is the first ever piece of coding I've done with AutoIt; previously I would use GWBasic.

The line above is part of an algorithmn I am trying to create/test, the full text of what I typed into the editor is appended below. Thanks

stub = 0

seglength = 24

gap = 5

for position = ( 0 + stub ) to seglength step gap

; dosomething

stub = seglength - position

next position

MsgBox(0, "stub", stub)

[Richard Robertson]

Variables in AutoIt need a $ symbol on the front of the names.

$stub, $seglength, $gap, $position, etc.

[skylark]

Thanks.

That is a disapointment - it requires a lot of extra typing and hassle.

GWBasic would I presume deduce that if something was not a keyword then it must be a variable - why does not AutoIt do the same? The editor seems to have no problems doing this.

I also see that it will not let me write "next $position" but only "next" - which could cause confusion with nested nexts.

Edited September 19, 2009 by skylark

[Richard Robertson]

AutoIt was originally written as a VERY simple language. $ on a variable makes the parser simpler.

[skylark]

Thanks.

Would it be possible to get the editor to add the $s before saving the script I wonder?

[Richard Robertson]

Nope. The editor would have no way of knowing what you wanted to be a variable and what is a typo.