Assign function with arrays

[Gigglestick]

Dim $strTestReference, $arrTestArray[3][3][3]
$strTestReference = StringFormat("$arrTestArray[%d][%d][%d]", $x, $y, $z)
Assign($strTestReference, $strValue)

I'm just curious why Assign can't be used with arrays so that something like the code above could be accomplished (just thrown together, not what I'd actually do). If it did, it would be easy to create UDFs to populate and display arrays of unlimited dimensions (within the bounds of variable limits). I'm not sure where an array with more than a handful of dimensions would be needed, I'm just curious about it more than trying to prove a point.

Probably moreso than using it in AutoIt, I'm curious what prevented it in the implementation of the Assign function. Is it limitations of the C++ language or compiler?

[PsaltyDS]

All you need is to Eval() the entire array to a known temp variable then Assign() it back.

#include <Array.au3>

Global $arrTestArray[3][3] = [[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]]
_ArrayDisplay($arrTestArray, "Before")

$strTestReference = "arrTestArray"
$strValue = "Changed!"
$aTemp = Eval("arrTestArray")
$x = Random(0, UBound($aTemp) - 1)
$y = Random(0, UBound($aTemp, 2) - 1)
$aTemp[$x][$y] = $strValue

Assign($strTestReference, $aTemp)
_ArrayDisplay($arrTestArray, "After")

[Gigglestick]

Interesting. The logic seems sound. Below is what I was originally thinking. The goal being to create an _ArrayDisplay type function that would work for an array of any dimensions. My problem area is between the ========= blocks.

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; My preferred variable nomenclature:
; $gxVariable = global variable of type x
; $lxVariable = local variable of type x
; $axVariable = variable of type x, passed as an argument
; x being s=str, n=int, b=bool, a=array, etc.

Global $gaTestArray[3][3][3] = [[[1,2,3],[4,5,6],[7,8,9]],[[10,11,12],[13,14,15],[16,17,18]],[[19,20,21],[22,23,24],[25,26,27]]]

ConsoleWrite(_ArrayGetString($gaTestArray))

; This would be the user-called function so the user can call _ArrayGetString($array)
; instead of having to create the dummy string and counter array variables since they're ByRef
Func _ArrayGetString(ByRef $aaArray, $asIndentChar="")
    Local $lsOutput=""
    Local $laCounters=[UBound($aaArray,0)] ; 1-based to avoid confusion
    Return __ArrayGetStringRecursed($aaArray, $lsOutput, $laCounters)
EndFunc

; Returns a string from an array of unknown dimensions, indenting the line farther for each dimension deep
; Uses an array of counters, one per dimension
; $asIndentChar could be a space or a tab to visually indent in addition to the numeric reference
Func __ArrayGetStringRecursed(ByRef $aaArray, ByRef $asIndentChar, ByRef $asOutput, ByRef $aaCounters, $anDimension=1)
    If Not IsArray($aaArray) Then Return SetError(1, 0, -1)
    
    If Not IsArray($aaCounters) Then
        ReDim $aaCounters[UBound($aaArray,0)+1] ; 1-based to avoid confusion
    EndIf
    
    ; Recurse until we're at the last dimension of the array
    If UBound($aaArray,0) > $anDimension Then
        $asOutput &= __ArrayGetStringRecursed($aaArray, $asOutput, $aaCounters, $anDimension+1)
    EndIf
    
; ==================================================
; This is where I'm getting hung up, accessing an array reference 
; built on the fly for an unknown amount of array dimensions
    
    For $aaCounters[$anDimension] = 0 to UBound($aaArray, $anDimension)
        Local $i, $lsArrayReference = "", $lsOutputReference=""
        For $i = 1 to UBound($aaArray,0)
            $lsArrayReference  &= "[" & $aaCounters[$i] & "]"
            $lsOutputReference &= $aaCounters[$i] & ","
        Next
        $lsOutputReference = StringTrimRight($lsOutputReference,1) ; Trailing comma
        
        ; We should end up with something like $lsArrayReference = "$aaArray[0][0][x]" with x incrementing on each loop
        ; First  run appends output from $lsArrayReference = "$aaArray[0][0][x]" for x from 0 to 2
        ; Second run appends output from $lsArrayReference = "$aaArray[0][1][x]" for x from 0 to 2
        ; Third  run appends output from $lsArrayReference = "$aaArray[0][2][x]" for x from 0 to 2
        ; Fourth run appends output from $lsArrayReference = "$aaArray[1][2][x]" for x from 0 to 2
        $asOutput &= $lsOutputReference & " = " & _
            __IndentString($anDimension, $asIndentChar) & _
            Eval("$aaArray" & $lsArrayReference) & @CRLF
    Next
    Return $asOutput & @CRLF ; Extra CRLF for a spacer
; ==================================================
EndFunc

Func __IndentString($anCount, $asChar=" ")
    Local $lsReturn=""
    While StringLen($lsReturn) < $anCount
        $lsReturn &= $asChar
    WEnd
    Return $lsReturn
EndFunc

3-dimensional array output:

0,0,0=1
0,0,1=  2
0,0,2=      3

0,1,0=4
0,1,1=  5
0,1,2=      6

0,2,0=7
0,2,1=  8
0,2,2=      9

1,0,0=10
1,0,1=  11
1,0,2=      12

1,1,0=13
1,1,1=  14
1,1,2=      15

1,2,0=16
1,2,1=  17
1,2,2=      18

2,0,0=19
2,0,1=  20
2,0,2=      21

2,1,0=22
2,1,1=  23
2,1,2=      24

2,2,0=25
2,2,1=  26
2,2,2=      27

Edited April 13, 2011 by c0deWorm

[jchd]

You should be able to achieve what you want by modifying this classical squeleton:

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Global $gaTestArray[3][3][3][2] = [ _
    [ _
        [[0,1],[0,2],[0,3]], _
        [[0,4],[0,5],[0,6]], _
        [[0,7],[0,8],[0,9]]], _
        [[[0,10],[0,11],[0,12]], _
        [[0,13],[0,14],[0,15]], _
        [[0,16],[0,17],[0,18]]], _
        [[[0,19],[0,20],[0,21]], _
        [[0,22],[0,23],[0,24]], _
        [[0,25],[0,26],[0,27]] _
    ] _
]

ConsoleWrite(_VarDump($gaTestArray) & @LF)

Func _VarDump(ByRef $vVar, $sIndent = '')
    Select
        Case IsDllStruct($vVar)
            Return 'Struct(' & DllStructGetSize($vVar) & ') = ' & Hex($vVar)
        Case IsArray($vVar)
            Local $iSubscripts = UBound($vVar, 0)
            Local $sDims = 'Array'
            $iSubscripts -= 1
            For $i = 0 To $iSubscripts
                $sDims &= '[' & UBound($vVar, $i + 1) & ']'
            Next
            Return $sDims & @CRLF & _VarDumpArray($vVar, $sIndent)
        Case IsBinary($vVar)
            Return 'Binary(' & BinaryLen($vVar) & ')'
        Case IsBool($vVar)
            Return 'Boolean(' & $vVar & ')'
        Case IsFloat($vVar)
            Return 'Float(' & $vVar & ')'
        Case IsHWnd($vVar)
            Return 'HWnd(' & $vVar & ')'
        Case IsInt($vVar)
            Return 'Integer(' & $vVar & ')'
        Case IsKeyword($vVar)
            Return 'Keyword(' & $vVar & ')'
        Case IsPtr($vVar)
            Return 'Pointer(' & $vVar & ')'
        Case IsObj($vVar)
            Return 'Object(' & ObjName($vVar) & ')'
        Case IsString($vVar)
            Return 'String(' & StringLen($vVar) & ") '" & $vVar & "'"
        Case Else
            Return 'Unknown(' & $vVar & ')'
    EndSelect
EndFunc

Func _VarDumpArray(ByRef $aArray, $sIndent = '')
    Local $sDump
    Local $sArrayFetch, $sArrayRead, $bDone
    Local $iSubscripts = UBound($aArray, 0)
    Local $aUBounds[$iSubscripts]
    Local $aCounts[$iSubscripts]
    $iSubscripts -= 1
    For $i = 0 To $iSubscripts
        $aUBounds[$i] = UBound($aArray, $i + 1) - 1
        $aCounts[$i] = 0
    Next
    $sIndent &= @TAB
    While 1
        $bDone = True
        $sArrayFetch = ''
        For $i = 0 To $iSubscripts
            $sArrayFetch &= '[' & $aCounts[$i] & ']'
            If $aCounts[$i] < $aUBounds[$i] Then $bDone = False
        Next

        $sArrayRead = Execute('$aArray' & $sArrayFetch)
        If @error Then
            ExitLoop
        Else
            $sDump &= $sIndent & $sArrayFetch & ' => ' & _VarDump($sArrayRead, $sIndent)
            If Not $bDone Then
                $sDump &= @CRLF
            Else
                Return $sDump
            EndIf
        EndIf

        For $i = $iSubscripts To 0 Step -1
            $aCounts[$i] += 1
            If $aCounts[$i] > $aUBounds[$i] Then
                $aCounts[$i] = 0
            Else
                ExitLoop
            EndIf
        Next
    WEnd
EndFunc

[Gigglestick]

$sArrayRead = Execute('$aArray' & $sArrayFetch)

Nice. So that's what I was missing. I suspected as much, but the help for Execute is somewhat vague.

Incidentally, is _VarDump in the standard UDFs shipped with AutoIt3? It's not in the help. Those might be useful permanent additions to the standard UDFs and help file, maybe in Misc.au3.

[jchd]

It's a classic found in the example scripts forum (search is your friend) but not in any std UDF. I believe I modified it long ago so the version(s) you're gonna find are probably slightly different, but only cosmetic as I recall.

It can save your day, eventually (I mean yours or mine, we all sometimes make severe blemishes).

[Mat]

For Au3Int I had a similar problem, with the addition that since the user could define whatever variables they like I needed to obfuscate the variable names... I made this function as a workaround. It uses a similar idea (based on execute) but assigns the variable name randomly, which means 1) Obfuscator doesn't mess up the name and 2) People won't accidentally assign a value to a global with the same name.

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Local $a1[5] = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Local $a2[5][2] = [[1, 2], [3, 4], [$a1, 46], [7, 8], [9, 10]]

_Au3Int_PrintVar($a2)

Func _Au3Int_PrintVar($vVar, $sPre = "")
    If IsArray($vVar) Then
        Local $sRandomVarName = Hex(Random(1000, 10000, 1))
        Assign($sRandomVarName, $vVar, 1)
        ConsoleWrite($sPre & "=> Array")
        For $i = 1 To UBound($vVar, 0)
            ConsoleWrite("[" & UBound($vVar, $i) & "]")
        Next
        ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

        Local $a[UBound(Eval($sRandomVarName), 0) + 1], $iBnd = UBound(Eval($sRandomVarName), 0)
        For $i = 0 To $iBnd
            $a[$i] = 0
        Next

        $i = StringLen($sPre)
        $sPre = " "
        For $i = $i To -2 Step -1
            $sPre &= " "
        Next

        $a[$iBnd] = -1
        While 1
            $a[$iBnd] += 1
            For $i = $iBnd To 1 Step -1
                If $a[$i] = UBound(Eval($sRandomVarName), $i) Then
                    $a[$i] = 0
                    If $i = 1 Then ExitLoop 2
                    $a[$i - 1] += 1
                EndIf
            Next

            Local $sTmp = ""
            For $i = 1 To $iBnd
                $sTmp &= "[" & $a[$i] & "]"
            Next
            _Au3Int_PrintVar(Execute("$" & $sRandomVarName & $sTmp), $sPre & " " & $sTmp & " ")
        WEnd
        Return
    ElseIf IsString($vVar) Then
        $vVar = """" & $vVar & """"
    EndIf

    ConsoleWrite($sPre & "=> " & $vVar & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>_Au3Int_PrintVar

[jchd]

Correct!