dim or local/global to declare an array

[Imbuter2000]

Some say that dim is deprecated and we should use local/global to declare variables... but I see that many(?) here in the forum still use dim to declare arrays. Is there a good reason for it?

Edited January 22, 2013 by Imbuter2000

[BrewManNH]

Dim or ReDim? Dim is deprecated because it can cause too many issues in its implementation if not used correctly. Older code examples might be using Dim because it wasn't frowned upon to use it when they were written.

[Imbuter2000]

Dim... not ReDim... I still use it in code in recent post in this forum...

[water]

But Dim is still deprecated and hence shouldn't be used anymore. Deprecated features can be removed any time from AutoIt.

[BrewManNH]

Dim... not ReDim... I still use it in code in recent post in this forum...

You're doing it wrong then, you need to stop.

[Imbuter2000]

You're doing it wrong then, you need to stop.

"I still use it in code in recent post in this forum..." oopppsss, I wanted to write that I still SEE it in code in recent posts in this forum...

Ok then, got it, thanks for your advice!

Edited January 22, 2013 by Imbuter2000

[BrewManNH]

"I still use it in code in recent post in this forum..." oopppsss, I wanted to write that I still SEE it in code in recent posts in this forum...

Ok then, got it, thanks for your advice!

I should have realized that you meant see instead of use.

If you're still seeing it in code then THEY'RE doing it wrong and they need to stop.

I understand that some people come here from VBScript, where Dim is practically the only declaration statement they know (and perhaps Set too if they use objects), but still this isn't VBScript, and someday the Dim command might go away completely.

[Mat]

But Dim is still deprecated and hence shouldn't be used anymore. Deprecated features can be removed any time from AutoIt.

Don't think it's ever been deprecated.

I can't think of any scenario where it would be used though.

[BrewManNH]

Don't think it's ever been deprecated.

Run Au3Check on this.

#AutoIt3Wrapper_AU3Check_Parameters=-w 6
Dim $test

It's been in there since at least 2006 as far as I can tell by searching the forums.

[Mat]

Run Au3Check on this.

#AutoIt3Wrapper_AU3Check_Parameters=-w 6
Dim $test

It's been in there since at least 2006 as far as I can tell by searching the forums.

Nothing about it in the helpfile. Either it is meant to be deprecated and should be noted as such in the helpfile, or Au3Check needs to change its wording.

[czardas]

oopppsss, I wanted to write that I still SEE it in code in recent posts in this forum...

That fooled me for quite a while too (though I've stopped using Dim now). Unfortunately I don't have anything to replace it with - other types of declaration are different - but never mind.

One of the things I like to do is use a variety of methods when coding, to expand my horizons, and what better way than by copying examples by experienced programmers. There's lots of Dim declarations on the forum. I don't know why it was depreciated really. It appears to have some unique, and potentially useful, properties.

is a good read. Read the follow up comments to that post. It will give you more of an idea what is going on with Dim. I still have some quandries regarding it, but there seems no point in pursuing them since the decision to depreciate Dim was made a while ago.

Edited January 23, 2013 by czardas

[BrewManNH]

Rereading the change logs of AutoIt, it appears that Dim was changed back in 2003, to make AutoIt more compatible with VBScript code, so that it could be used to declare variables. I can't be sure, because there isn't a version prior to 3.0.100 in the archives, but it appears that Dim might have been meant to originally be used for declaring arrays.