Named arguments in function call - any ideas

[Myicq]

I have a project where I wish to create a layout file for a drawing program using AutoIT.

The format for this program is simple: header, objects (1..n), properties. Most of it, I have in control.

But I need an idea about how best to add the objects. Here, an object has some properties such as coordinate, font etc. My idea is to call a function like add_object() which will add with default parameters.

Now to my question: how can I "override" parameters in the function call ? I do not know which parameters will be overridden, this depends on user choices. So thereby I do not know the number of parameters in my function call.

Do anyone have an idea about how to do achieve something like this, which is inspired from Perl

; pseudocode function call:
add_object(
    'xpos' => '123',
    'font' => 'Arial',
    'rotation' => '90' )   ; the remaining parameters will be default

; pseudo code
func add_object(byref $paramsettings)
  $original = get_default_object()   ; first load a default object type
   for each $key ($paramsettings)
       $original[$key] = $paramsettings[$key]   ; override default here
   next
   write_out_object($original)   ; now with modified original
endfunc

I have looked at but I am not 100% sure how to pass as an argument and (specifically) how to check which keys are passed ? (as in "for each $keys in $passed_array")

Any help welcomed.

[jchd]

Your post makes me think that you'd be better looking at AutoIt object for your objects manipulations and towards SQLite for storage/query. Of course this is an out of the blue wild guess unless more requirements/constraints are thrown.

[qsek]

i love this UDF too, its minimalistic and straight.

So what about defining a func which fills an AssoArray with standard values.

Then if you want to make an custom object you call the function, then change the values you want, then call the "make Object" function.

You dont event need to pass arguments as the AssoArray is global accessible.

#include <AssoArrays.au3>

_SetDefault()
x("obj.xpos",123)
x("obj.font",'Arial')
x("obj.rotation",90)
x_display()

write_out_object()

Func _SetDefault()
    x("obj.xpos",0)
    x("obj.ypos",0)
    x("obj.font",'Arial')
    x("obj.rotation",0)
    x("obj.edge",10)
EndFunc


Func write_out_object()
    DrawObj(x("obj.xpos"),x("obj.ypos"))
    RotateObj(x("obj.rotation"))
    ....
EndFunc