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Trying to reference Global Variables

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    Trying to reference Global Variables

    Hi I am new to Alpha and am having an issue with referencing values in my global variable that are being set in the autoexec.

    I am setting these as such:
    'set global variables for SMTP Email
    with global_variables()
    Alpha_Err_Dist as C = "[email protected]"
    SMTP_ALIAS as C = "Alpha Error Email"
    SMTP_PASS as C = "password"
    SMTP_PORT as N = 25
    SMTP_SERVER as C = "mail.server.com"
    SMTP_USER as C = "[email protected]"
    end with

    When I check the value using
    ? global_variables()
    All the values and variables are listed.

    However when I try to reference them by the variable name ie ?

    ? SMTP_PASS
    ERROR: Variable "SMTP_PASS" not found.

    Am I missing something here?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks Jeff

    #2
    Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

    Hi Jeff,
    Welcome aboard. Look at the "V" in the Interactive editor toolbar and see the global variable name. It includes the 'as C' in the name of the variable. Remove it and it looks like this:

    Code:
    with global_variables()
    Alpha_Err_Dist = "[email protected]"
    end with
    
    ? alpha_err_dist
    = "[email protected]"
    Mike W
    __________________________
    "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

      Thanks Mike works like a champ now. I am coming from VB and like to declare types to everything.

      I am still learing Alpha and have been at it about a week.

      Jeff

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

        Jeff,
        You seem to be doing quite well. I frankly had no clue about the with global_variables()-end with statement, so I learned something new. And by the way... A5 is quite demanding about dimming variables also. . I am a bit intrigued about that function automatically assining the variable type.

        Glad it's working for you.
        Mike W
        __________________________
        "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

          When you implicitly declare a variable through assignment, you cannot specify the variable type. Instead, it will be inferred from the value you are assigning.
          Code:
          SMTP_SERVER = "mail.server.com"
          To explicitly declare a variable, use DIM. The syntax is not exactly the same as VB, but you should find it to be pretty familiar. This allows you to specify the variable type and an initial value:
          Code:
          dim SMTP_SERVER as C = "mail.server.com"

          Lenny Forziati
          Vice President, Internet Products and Technical Services
          Alpha Software Corporation

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

            Thanks for the reply.

            Just so I get it you can assign a data type. The problem was with the way I was trying to do this with the with statement.

            with global_variables()
            Alpha_Err_Dist as C = "[email protected]"
            SMTP_ALIAS as C = "Alpha Error Email"
            SMTP_PASS as C = "password"
            SMTP_PORT as N = 25
            SMTP_SERVER as C = "mail.server.com"
            SMTP_USER as C = "[email protected]"
            end with

            Jeff

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

              Jeff:
              You already declared the scope of the variables as global.
              The type is implied in the values assigned. Since you HAVE TO give these variables some value, the type will be implied there.

              So, if you say:
              WITH global_variables()
              Firstname = "Jeff"
              age=25
              END WITH
              then firstname is Character and age is numeric

              Code:
              WITH global_variables()
              #    Firstname = "Jeff"
              #    age=25
              #END WITH
              ?global_variables()
              age = 25
              Firstname = "Jeff"
              ?age
              = 25

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                Thanks for the clarification.
                I wish I was 25.
                Jeff

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                  The problem you ran into does not have anything to do with the WITH ... END WITH that you are using. The problem is that you were trying to specify the type without a DIM statement. You would have this problem anywhere in Xbasic.

                  You can combine WITH...END WITH and DIM as follows.

                  Code:
                  with global_variables()
                      dim Alpha_Err_Dist as C = "[email protected]"
                      dim SMTP_ALIAS as C = "Alpha Error Email"
                      dim SMTP_PASS as C = "password"
                      dim SMTP_PORT as N = 25
                      dim SMTP_SERVER as C = "mail.server.com"
                      dim SMTP_USER as C = "[email protected]"
                  end with

                  Lenny Forziati
                  Vice President, Internet Products and Technical Services
                  Alpha Software Corporation

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                    In the following, you dim the scope and type without assigning a value:
                    Code:
                    with global_variables()
                    #dim a as c
                    #dim b as n
                    #end with
                    ?a
                    = ""
                    ?b
                    = 0

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                      Gabe,
                      So if I initially DIM my global variables in say the Autoexec, then when I want to set their values later in a script, I do not have to DIM them again? I just use this function and map my values? There are soooo many great functions to learn!
                      Robin

                      Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                        Gabe,
                        So if I initially DIM my global variables in say the Autoexec, then when I want to set their values later in a script, I do not have to DIM them again?
                        Once (per session) is enough.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                          Once (per session) is enough.
                          I found this out the hard way....I had dimmed the same global Blob variable a second time on a different form and it would not function at all--removed the dimming and all was well.
                          Mike
                          __________________________________________
                          It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
                          It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
                          Henry David Thoreau
                          __________________________________________



                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                            Hi Mike,

                            Originally posted by MikeC View Post
                            I found this out the hard way....I had dimmed the same global Blob variable a second time on a different form and it would not function at all--removed the dimming and all was well.
                            This is not unexpected. You had 2 sessions (each form) accessing, and potentially changing at random times the same global variable, potentially stepping on each other at "random" times. When you removed the 2nd DIM, it was no longer being dimensioned globally, and thus had it's own space. But it's possible it could have still used the global version, had you read the variable in the 2nd session without assigning to it first.

                            These are outlined in my dimensioning tips here
                            Regards,

                            Ira J. Perlow
                            Computer Systems Design


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                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Trying to reference Global Variables

                              Thanks Ira...makes sense as always when you explain it! :)
                              Mike
                              __________________________________________
                              It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
                              It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
                              Henry David Thoreau
                              __________________________________________



                              Comment

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