flexibility with declaring an array

[jchd]

gcue,

That's still way too vague to infer any useful direction.

[jdelaney]

How about a dictionary...no overhead of a database, no overhead of re-working arrays:

Local $oDictionary = ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")
$oDictionary.Add("a","test")
$oDictionary.Add("b","test2")
$oDictionary.Add("c","test3")
$oDictionary.Remove("a")

I would even suggest a virtual XML file...you can add and remove nodes as you see fit...as well as do anything that an array can do.

Edited March 23, 2015 by jdelaney

[gcue]

 

but in that example, those elements still exist.  If they were deleted the ubound would change.  It is the same as ignoring them, doesnt matter what the exclude string is.

expandcollapse popup

#include <array.au3>


local $array[10]


$x = 0


$array[$x] = "bob"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "larry"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "mark"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "will"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "pete"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "martha"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "jane"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "jill"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "jack"
$x +=1
$array[$x] = "jim"


$array = _deletefolk($array , "larry;jane;jill;jack") 
_ArrayDisplay($array)


Func _deletefolk($aArray, $sNames)
$aNames = stringsplit($sNames , ";" , 3)
for $i = 0 to ubound($aNames) - 1
$aFound = _ArrayFindAll($aArray , $aNames[$i])
$aArray[$aFound[0]] = ""
next

return $aArray

EndFunc

right i know the $x += 1 soluition i showed would work in that scenario.. but like i said i was just asking if there was a better way

[iamtheky]

right, i was focused more on the option of blanking -vs- deleting (to overcome the issue with indexes changing).  How you populate the intial array best is certainly not addressed. 

Edited March 23, 2015 by boththose

[kylomas]

gcue,

Externalize the data in any of; a DB, ini file, flat file, etc.  Then your code can react to changes real-time. 
That is as specific as the scenario that you present permits.

kylomas

edit: spelling

edit: simple example using a flat file (1 name per line)

#include <date.au3>

Local $sFileName = @ScriptDir & '\names.txt'
Local $DTStamp = FileGetTime($sFileName, 0, 1) ; return last modified date/time as string
Local $aNames = StringSplit(FileRead($sFileName), @CRLF, 3)

While 1 ;   your main loop

    If FileGetTime($sFileName, 0, 1) <> $DTStamp Then _Refresh_Array()

    ;
    ; do your thing
    ;

    Sleep(100)

WEnd

Func _Refresh_Array()

    $aNames = StringSplit(FileRead($sFileName), @CRLF, 3)
    ConsoleWrite('Names array refreshed at ' & _Now() & @CRLF)
    $DTStamp = FileGetTime($sFileName, 0, 1)

EndFunc   ;==>_Refresh_Array

Edited March 24, 2015 by kylomas

[SadBunny]

Am I missing something in this thread or is _ArrayAdd all you were looking for in the first place?

#include <array.au3>

Dim $myArray[0]

_ArrayAdd($myArray, "hello");
_ArrayAdd($myArray, "another element");
_ArrayAdd($myArray, "bye");

_ArrayDisplay($myArray)

Not that I disagree with all the other suggestions - using SQLite or using an external textfile or something is probably easier, if only because you won't have to recompile your script if the data changes, because apparently you have to do that now. 

[jchd]

Still >#21

We don't have the faintest idea about:

-) what the true nature of the data really is (I bet first names was just an illustration)

-) where the data comes from

-) what triggers a change

-) do changes occur on index or content

-) how is the data recognized (index or what)

-) the example shows last names; is this a list of 4000 different last names or a list of the last names of 4000 persons? In the latter case it's obvious there will be duplicates and then how is it planned to deal with that?

-) how is it required to search in the list?

-) is the data case-sensitive

-) is the search plain 7-bit ASCII or full ANSI, e.g. andre vs. andré

[gcue]

How about a dictionary...no overhead of a database, no overhead of re-working arrays:

Local $oDictionary = ObjCreate("Scripting.Dictionary")
$oDictionary.Add("a","test")
$oDictionary.Add("b","test2")
$oDictionary.Add("c","test3")
$oDictionary.Remove("a")

I would even suggest a virtual XML file...you can add and remove nodes as you see fit...as well as do anything that an array can do.

 

definitely a good idea.. thanks man