DllStruct Element Name Limits

[SkinnyWhiteGuy]

I was working with a few DllCalls the other day, and ran into a limit I can't find mentioned any where, and thought it might just be something I missed. DllStruct Element Names cannot contain the underscore character, but actual C/C++ structures can. Without experimenting and finding out the hard way, I was wondering what the actual limits to Element Names were. Would someone mind telling me what the limits for DllStruct Element Names are?

[martin]

ConsoleWrite("Allowed characters" & @CRLF)
$ok = 0
for $i = 1 to 255
    $n = chr($i)
$d = dllstructcreate("int " & $n)
dllstructsetdata($d,$n,$i)
if dllstructgetdata($d,$n) = $i Then
    ConsoleWrite(chr($i) & ", " )
    $ok += 1
EndIf

if $ok <> 0 and mod($ok,40) = 0 then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF & @CRLF)
ConsoleWrite("illegal character codes" & @CRLF)
$ok = 0
for $i = 1 to 255
    $n = chr($i)
$d = dllstructcreate("int " & $n)
dllstructsetdata($d,$n,$i)
if dllstructgetdata($d,$n) <> $i Then
    ConsoleWrite($i & ", " )
    $ok += 1
EndIf

if $ok <> 0 and mod($ok,40) = 0 then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

Edited November 28, 2009 by martin

[Zedna]

An underscore character is in Autoit treated as "continue line".

So maybe this limitation is because of that.

[trancexx]

ConsoleWrite("Allowed characters" & @CRLF)
$ok = 0
for $i = 1 to 255
    $n = chr($i)
$d = dllstructcreate("int " & $n)
dllstructsetdata($d,$n,$i)
if dllstructgetdata($d,$n) = $i Then
    ConsoleWrite(chr($i) & ", " )
    $ok += 1
EndIf

if $ok <> 0 and mod($ok,40) = 0 then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF & @CRLF)
ConsoleWrite("illegal character codes" & @CRLF)
$ok = 0
for $i = 1 to 255
    $n = chr($i)
$d = dllstructcreate("int " & $n)
dllstructsetdata($d,$n,$i)
if dllstructgetdata($d,$n) <> $i Then
    ConsoleWrite($i & ", " )
    $ok += 1
EndIf

if $ok <> 0 and mod($ok,40) = 0 then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

Outstanding.

[SkinnyWhiteGuy]

Martin: That was the hard way I was trying to avoid, cause what if some chars are allowed only as non-first letters? Also, if the char is invalid, DllStructCreate returns @error of 2, claiming an invalid parameter (at least for an underscore). That would make for a quicker check.

Zedna: I thought that too, but AutoIt variables themselves allow underscores in the names, as do functions. Also, considering the struct format is passed into AutoIt as a string, it shouldn't affect it in there.

[Zedna]

Zedna: I thought that too, but AutoIt variables themselves allow underscores in the names, as do functions. Also, considering the struct format is passed into AutoIt as a string, it shouldn't affect it in there.

Yes. Of course you are right.

It was just my quick (wrong) idea.

Edited November 28, 2009 by Zedna

[martin]

Martin: That was the hard way I was trying to avoid, cause what if some chars are allowed only as non-first letters? Also, if the char is invalid, DllStructCreate returns @error of 2, claiming an invalid parameter (at least for an underscore). That would make for a quicker check.

Yes that's all true, so

ConsoleWrite("Allowed characters" & @CRLF)
$ok = 0
for $i = 1 to 255
    $n = 'A' & chr($i) & 'B'
$d = dllstructcreate("int " & $n)

if not @error Then
    ConsoleWrite(chr($i) & ", " )
    $ok += 1
EndIf

if $ok <> 0 and mod($ok,40) = 0 then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF & @CRLF)
ConsoleWrite("illegal character codes" & @CRLF)
$ok = 0
for $i = 1 to 255
    $n = 'A' & chr($i) & 'B'
$d = dllstructcreate("int " & $n)
if @error = 2 Then
    ConsoleWrite($i & ", " )
    $ok += 1
EndIf

if $ok <> 0 and mod($ok,40) = 0 then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

[SkinnyWhiteGuy]

Well, I ran what Martin provided, and it basically confirmed what I thought: Only allowed chars in element names are letters and numbers, A-Z a-z 0-9. Ok, next obvious question: Why? Is it just limited that way just because, or is there a reason for it? Also, information like this would be good to add to the help entry for DllStructCreate, after confirming which chars are legal and which aren't.

[Zedna]

Also, information like this would be good to add to the help entry for DllStructCreate, after confirming which chars are legal and which aren't.

I fully agree.

Make ticket for this on bugtrac or send PM to some of developers with access to Autoit sources to confirm such a limitation.

[mavor]

Hey guys thanks a ton for this post. It saved me another two+ hours of debugging. You are right, it has a hissy fit if you use ANYTHING other then letters and numbers

>.<

[Zedna]

Hey guys thanks a ton for this post. It saved me another two+ hours of debugging. You are right, it has a hissy fit if you use ANYTHING other then letters and numbers

>.<

Use latest 3.3.2 version.

There is fix for this: Underscore is now possible.