Advice on using numbers as variables...

[seadoggie01]

3 hours ago, JockoDundee said:

 But you don’t see any value in using descriptive constants for the return codes, for instance?

That's an interesting question... not really, unless there is a provided function to "decode" them... something like:

Global Enum $_WINHTTP_ERR_SUCCESS,
            $_WINHTTP_ERR_INVALID_OBJECT,
            $_WINHTTP_ERR_NO_CONNECTION,  ; etc
            $_WINHTTP_ERR_SIZE

Global Const $__WINHTTP_ERR_DESCRIPTION[$_WINHTTP_ERR_SIZE] = [ _ 
        [$_WINHTTP_ERR_SUCCESS, "Success: No error"],_ 
        [$_WINHTTP_ERR_INVALID_OBJECT, "Invalid object passed to function"],_ 
        [$_WINHTTP_ERR_NO_CONNECTION, "A connection was not made to the external server"]_
    ]

Func _WINHTTP_ErrorDescription($iError)
    For $i=0 To Ubound($__WINHTTP_ERR_DESCRIPTION) - 1 ; Should equal $_WINHTTP_ERR_SIZE, but don't use it in case the array wasn't updated
        If $iError = $__WINHTTP_ERR_DESCRIPTION[$i][0] Then
            Return $__WINHTTP_ERR_DESCRIPTION[$i][1]
        EndIf
    Next
    Return SetError(1, 0, False)
EndFunc

; N.B. Didn't test, just as an example

I would love to have something like this in a lot more UDFs, but I realize that it's probably not realistic in most cases. It might make sense in something like the WebDriver, where there are a limited number of errors, but this doesn't work for everyone/everywhere.

[Gianni]

On 11/1/2020 at 8:46 PM, JockoDundee said:

... Not to add ex post facto requirements as a justification for my decision, but when you doing chess interfaces, a large portion of the code is looping up files and over ranks and doing compares etc. So performance has to be considered.Basically, things like

For $row = 0 To 7
   For $col = 0 To 7
   
   If $board[$row][$col] = ...
  
  Next
Next

Chimp’s code requires multiple String library calls per usage.  So I was looking to maintain the performance of direct array access with more intuitive semantics.

you could then use a "nearly" direct access to the array using an "indirect" addressing to the row with no loss of performances and allowing the normal usage of the "For Next" loops ...

#include <array.au3> ; only For _ArrayDisplay
Local $board[8][8]
Local $aRow[] = [7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] ; for the indirect addressing of the rows (see below)*
Local Enum $a, $b, $c, $d, $e, $f, $g, $h ; (not really needed)

Local $asCol[] = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h'] ; just to view the mnemonics in the array

For $row = 0 To 7 ; just use 0 to 7 as you normally would

    For $col = $a To $h ; or use 0 to 7 as well

        ; instead of addressing the row directly with $board[$row][$col]
        ; use *indirect addressing like here below $board[ $aRow[$row] ][$col]
        ;                                                  -----------
        $board[$aRow[$row]][$col] = $asCol[$col] & $row + 1

    Next
Next

_ArrayDisplay($board)

 

[Gianni]

wanting to stay on topic with the post title, if we also want to use numbers as variable names I would use this "fake" association

Local Enum $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8

therefore always using indirect addressing to reach the checkboard cells

#include <array.au3> ; only For _ArrayDisplay
Local $board[8][8]
Local $aRow[] = [7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0] ; for the indirect addressing of the rows (see below)*
Local Enum $a, $b, $c, $d, $e, $f, $g, $h
Local Enum $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8 ; allows to use these "dummy" numbers $1-$8 as (and instead of) 0-7

Local $asCol[] = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h'] ; just to view the mnemonics in the array

For $row = $1 To $8 ; instead of using 0 to 7 as you normally would
    For $col = $a To $h ; instead of using 0 to 7 as you normally would

        ; instead of addressing the row directly with $board[$row][$col]
        ; use *indirect addressing like here below $board[ $aRow[$row] ][$col]
        ;                                                  -----------
        $board[$aRow[$row]][$col] = $asCol[$col] & $row + 1

    Next
Next

_ArrayDisplay($board)

 

[JockoDundee]

On 11/3/2020 at 6:59 AM, Chimp said:

wanting to stay on topic with the post title, if we also want to use numbers as variable names I would use this "fake" association

Little did I know that you were the true pioneer of using numbers as variable names