[Gambas-user] Correct strategy for VB static var conversion to Gambas?

[Jussi Lahtinen]

I have been a bit too busy to follow this very long thread. So just a
general note. I did convert a vb6 project with 50 000 lines of (ugly) code
into Gambas (2), when I started.
It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. But your mileage may vary.


Jussi


On Sat, May 29, 2021 at 10:48 PM John Anderson <johna at starflightinc.com>
wrote:

> On converting larger codebase from VB6 to Gambas,  I wanted to double
> check my method for converting "static" type variable module declares into
> the Gambas way.  This might be obvious to everyone, but I just wanted to be
> sure.  Or am I smoking the wrong stuff again?
>
> This is for module-type functions where only a single instance of the code
> function is used for the entire project.  I'm not talking about static vars
> used in multiple-instance classes.
>
> From VB world: I'm talking about a static variable/object used in a
> sub/function that is only initialized when the function is first invoked,
> and is stored on a static heap for the project run session.  The value of
> the variable persists every time the function is invoked every time after
> first use.   The static var shall exist until the program exits.  It
> absolutely can't be seen or used by anything outside of the function - ie.
> the scope of static var is at the function level only.  In other words -
> it's just like a local variable that is initialized only once, and lives on
> the static heap instead of the stack.
>
> In Gambas World:  It looks like you can't declare a variable of type
> static in module function, nor can you declare an array -inside- the module
> function.  OK, I'll work according to those rules.  I know that variable
> declares inside a Gambas module are inherently static in nature.  If I'm
> reading docs right.
>
> I THINK the approach is to convert old VB existing functions with statics
> is to make a module file (of ModuleName.mod) for -each- function, and lay
> out generally as
>
> 'Gambas module file
>
> 'Static-like vars declared here
> Private myLVar As Long = 0
> Private myArray[20, 500] As Integer
> '....etc.
>
> 'Function/ Sub below
>
> Public Function myFunc(Param1 As Integer, Param2 As Integer,...) As Boolean
>
>   Dim x As Integer   'These are initialized at every function call
>   Dim somevar As Byte 'Etc.
>
>   'Actual code goes here....
>   myArray[Param1, Param2] = 42
>
>     '... whatever
>
>   Return True
> End
> -EOF-
>
> Now everywhere else in the project can use  ModuleName.myFunc (Param1,
> Param2...).
>
> Is that correct strategy or is there a better approach?  Being static,
> will "static var" be able to be used with upcoming "Data Breakpoint" debug
> feature?
>
> I guess doing it this way gets my wish of seeing long Subs / Funcs
> one-at-a-time in the IDE.  I'll have over 1100 files in the source
> directory though.  Ughh.
>
> If this is correct way, I see a way to make the conversion process
> sorta-kinda-automated with a VB6 to Gambas code converter tool - it won't
> be perfect but at least the module files can be generated one for each
> module function, and static vars placed in top module declaration section
> of each file - outside the function.  There rest of code will have to be
> checked over and tweaked and tested.  It's a start.  Maybe.  Maybe bad idea.
>
> -John
>
>
>
> ----[ http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/netiquette ]----
>
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