Unspecified amount of optional parameters?

[bootybay]

Func CloseWindow($win1 = 0, $win2 = 0, $win[infinite] = 0)
  Winclose($win1)
  Winclose($win2)
  Winclose($win[infinite])
EndFunc

CloseWindow("Chrome", "Firefox", "IE", "Opera", "Safari")

So this is more of an understanding issue:

Is there a way to define parameters of a function so it increases the amount of parameters by using the function?

Like in the example above. I don't want to define 999 optional parameters since I haven't planned out the exact usecase yet.

Can I somehow automatically extend the amount of parameters?

[Gianni]

You could pass an array as parameter, so the number of parameters depends from the array elements

[Melba23]

bootybay,

Use an array to pass the parameters:

Func CloseWindow($aWin)
    For $i = 0 To UBound($aWin) - 1
         Winclose($aWin[$i])
    Next
EndFunc

Al clear?

M23

[bootybay]

Thank you very much.

[kamiquasi]

When passing an array as a parameter, consider the use of ByRef as well.  That makes the function use the original array, rather than a local copy.  Generally doesn't matter much unless you're storing a lot of data in the array, just cleaner overall.

[Melba23]

kamiquasi,

Using ByRef is only advantageous if you know that you will be modifying the array. If you do not use ByRef AutoIt actually still uses the original and only creates a new array if changes are needed.

M23

[jchd]

See also @NumParam at work in the helpfile under Func...Return...EndFunc

BTW @NumParam is poorly referenced, just like Language Reference - User Functions is very dry.

Edited October 1, 2013 by jchd

[kamiquasi]

Using ByRef is only advantageous if you know that you will be modifying the array. If you do not use ByRef AutoIt actually still uses the original and only creates a new array if changes are needed.

 

 

Might be good to note in the documentation, then?  Unless I'm reading it wrong:

"The default behavior copies the parameter into a new variable however ByRef links the new variable to the original parameter.  ByRef is typically preferred when a function expects large amounts of data, such as a large array, where copying all the data would impose a significant performance penalty".

If the behavior is actually that it only makes a copy on write, but not on read, that's a different thing?

[Melba23]

kamiquasi,

I will look into it tomorrow. I seem to remember that it is only arrays that are not copied so it might be more complicated than a simple "one-size-fits-all" phrase.

Besides, ByRef seems to be complicated enough for the average coder to understand without getting into too much detail when describing it.

M23