"nil" as keyword

[Yashied]

It would be good for a better reading of scripts to add to the AutoIt "nil" keyword as in many other programming languages.

[Kip]

Not the right forum, Null sounds better, and why? 0 does (quite) the same job.

Chr(0) returns Null.

[Richard Robertson]

The integer value of zero is a fine enough null. That's all null really is anyways. A pointer that points to nothing.

[Yashied]

"Nil" is not zero, this is zero pointer, so the code is much more logical reading.

$Res = DllCall(...)

if $Res[0] = nil then

...

endif

I think that it looks more correct than if $Res[0] = 0 then ... In fact present in AutoIt true and false keywords.

Edited March 16, 2009 by Yashied

[James]

It's "null" is it not?

[jvanegmond]

Nil could be seen as a substitute for @error and variable declaration. I can't say it helps making programming code more readable or less programs prone to crash.

Obviously this is not for AutoIt. I don't think anyone has to mention any reasons.

[GEOSoft]

It's "null" is it not?

James, what you are thinking of is technically nul not null. Common mistake. Look at Chr(0) in the ascii table

NULL is a macro defined in <stddef.h> for the null pointer.

NUL is the name of the first character in the ASCII character set.

[weaponx]

Zero and null are two different things. In AutoIt its more common to use "" in place of null.

[GEOSoft]

Zero and null are two different things. In AutoIt its more common to use "" in place of null.

I seem to recall that we just went down this path in another thread.

Also, some place in the mix the default keyword comes into play

[Yashied]

Most people in this forum use variables whose names facilitates understanding of the code ($hIcon, $tStruct, $sName, etc.). I propose only to extend this approach. If I write $a = nil, then it clearly indicates that the variable $a is a pointer. Technically, "nil" can equal zero (0).

Edited March 16, 2009 by Yashied

[trancexx]

Nil, nul, null, 0, zero, ... nothing.

I really have nothing (null) to do in this parts of the forum, but I know that keyword for null pointer would make some of the udf's to work fully as expected.

... if you do:

..., "str", "something", ...

then it's obvious (hey Valik) that if you want to pass null there you have to rewrite the func to be:

..., "ptr", 0, ...

or you could pass non-existing keyword null.

[GEOSoft]

Most people in this forum use variables whose names facilitates understanding of the code ($hIcon, $tStruct, $sName, etc.). I propose only to extend this approach. If I write $a = nil, then it clearly indicates that the variable $a is a pointer. Technically, "nil" can equal zero (0).

I think what you are wanting is really a feature request and as such belongs in TRAC

Be sure to check if it has already been requested and be sure to read the list of things NOT TO ASK FOR.

[jvanegmond]

Most people in this forum use variables whose names facilitates understanding of the code ($hIcon, $tStruct, $sName, etc.). I propose only to extend this approach. If I write $a = nil, then it clearly indicates that the variable $a is a pointer. Technically, "nil" can equal zero (0).

If you're using nil then you are referring to an invalid or uninitialized variable. Like Ruby or Lua.

Not a pointer.

[Richard Robertson]

Default is AutoIt's uninitialized variable.

[Yashied]

Default is AutoIt's uninitialized variable.

Nil and 0 is technically the same, but logically perceived differently (as 0 and False or 1 and True).

[Valik]

It's not going to happen. It's not needed. You want it? Guess what:

Global Const $Nil = 0

No, seriously. You're done.

What you are asking for simply does not make sense for this language. Other languages don't use nil, nul, null, none, nothing, et all for only syntax reasons. In most of those languages it implies a lack of object in that it doesn't have a type at all. We don't use that convention in AutoIt. Instead each various hidden type has a default value which means "empty". For pretty much all types it can be compared to 0.

[GEOSoft]

MJight be one to add to the "Things Not to Ask For" list?

Actually I thought it had already been refused at one time but I didn't find it on Trac, probably due to a poor search. I know the discussion has come up a few times.

[jvanegmond]

Nil and 0 is technically the same, but logically perceived differently (as 0 and False or 1 and True).

Not really.

nil + 5 = ...

Errors out. You can't perform arithmetic on nil values.

nil & " some string" = ...

Errors out too. You can not perform concatenation on nil values.

[Yashied]

Not really.

nil + 5 = ...

Errors out. You can't perform arithmetic on nil values.

nil & " some string" = ...

Errors out too. You can not perform concatenation on nil values.

Nil this is "empty" pointer (0x00000000). Nil + 5 = !!!?????

But the next record, I think is logical, but not quite correct in the context of AutoIt.

$t = DllStructCreate(...)

...

$t = Nil

[jvanegmond]

Nil this is "empty" pointer (0x00000000). Nil + 5 = !!!?????

But the next record, I think is logical, but not quite correct in the context of AutoIt.

$t = DllStructCreate(...)

...

$t = Nil

If you're using nil then you are referring to an invalid or uninitialized variable. Like Ruby or Lua.

Not a pointer.