Re: Looping through an array with FOR EACH

[Jussi Lahtinen <jussi.lahtinen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Maybe this confusion comes from iterating collections instead...

Jussi

On Fri, Jan 16, 2026 at 2:47 AM Brian G <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On 1/15/26 15:21, Gianluigi wrote:
> > Il 15/01/26 23:26, Benoît Minisini ha scritto:
> >> Sorry, I never thought I would have to explain that, because arrays
> >> work the same way in every language - except javascript, but who said
> >> is was a serious language?
> >>
> >> An array is a list of values of the same datatypes that are stored
> >> consecutively in memory. Why? Because it's the easiest and fastest
> >> way to store and access its contents.
> >>
> >> It's a basic data structure that is even often handled by specific
> >> CPU instructions, especially on x86.
> >>
> >> And so values are indexed by their position, and so it's logical to
> >> enumerate them in the index order. Which other order could you use?
> >>
> >> And of course, if you modify the array while you enumerate it, you
> >> must use your brain to understand which wrong things could happen.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> --
> >> Benoît Minisini.
> >
> > Dear Benoit,
> >
> > I apologize for creating all this confusion.
> >
> > It all started with a forum user writing that it would have been
> > better to loop through the array with For Each.
> > Then I remembered your warning (which, as usual, I misunderstood).
> >
> > But at this point, you need to explain to me why the FOR EACH loop
> > would be better than the one I suggested:
> >
> > [code] Public Sub Main()
> >
> >   Dim aAreas As New String[][] ' The dynamic matrix
> >   Dim r, c, e, i As Integer
> >   ' Array of support to the random filling of the matrix with pseudo
> > names
> >   Dim aNomi As String[] = ["Ful", "Gal", "Doc", "Ech", "All", "Bil",
> > "Val", "Mal", "Cec", "Lol", "Nib"]
> >
> >   r = 5 ' six rows
> >   ' Initializes the random number generator
> >   Randomize
> >   ' Loop to populate the dynamic array
> >   For e = 0 To r
> >     ' Resize the array
> >     aAreas.Resize(e + 1)
> >     ' Instantiates a new internal array
> >     aAreas[e] = New String[]
> >     ' random number of columns
> >     c = Rand(0, 8)
> >     ' Loop to populate the array
> >     For i = 0 To c
> >       ' Resize the array
> >       aAreas[e].Resize(i + 1)
> >       ' Generate random names, but with number of row and column for
> > the control
> >        aAreas[e][i] = aNomi[Rand(0, 10)] & "(C" & CStr(i + 1) & " R" &
> > CStr(e + 1) & ")"
> >     Next
> >   Next
> >   ' Read the jagged matrix
> >   For r = 0 To aAreas.Max
> >     For c = 0 To aAreas[r].Max
> >       Print aAreas[r][c];;
> >     Next
> >     Print
> >   Next
> >
> >   ' This may be better <----------------------???
> >   Print "=============================================================="
> >   For Each area As String[] In aAreas
> >         For Each entry As String In area
> >             Print entry;;
> >         Next
> >         Print
> >     Next
> >
> > End [/code]
> >
> > With Best Regards
> > Gianluigi
> >
> It was not Ben that suggested that It was me, and it was because the
> fellow wanted to use fixed array size entry within a dynamic array.
>
> I suggested it because it was easier to understand. I was not commenting
> on your code, only on the code I presented of which you only quote the
> last paragraph example
>
> For Each area As String[] In aAreas
>          For Each entry As String In area
>              Print entry;;
>          Next
>          Print
>      Next
>
>
> --
> ~~~~ Brian
>
>