can't make zero-length array, array functions messed up

[jmichae3@…]

​http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/keywords/Dim.htm

I tried
dim $array[0]
"Array subscript variable badly formatted"

this OUGHT to work to make an empty array, and should not be a foreign concept, especially since we have _ArrayAdd and _Array_Delete

so I tried
$array=0
_ArrayAdd($array,"abc")
_ArrayDisplay($array)
however, when I try to do _Array_Add it does not add the string. when I do _ArrayDisplay the array display window does not pop up. your arrays (or documentation) are totally messed up.

more evidence that something is wrong:
dim $array[1]
_ArrayAdd($array,"abc")
_ArrayAdd($array,"def")
_ArrayAdd($array,"ghi")
_ArrayDisplay($array)
$s=_ArrayToString($array, ",")
msgbox(0,"result: there should be no leading comma, but there is", $s)
the result is
,abc,def,ghi

workaround:
dim $array[1] ;define supposedly empty array
$array=0 ;undefine array
dim $array[1] ;redefine supposedly empty array
_ArrayAdd($array,"abc")
_ArrayAdd($array,"def")
_ArrayAdd($array,"ghi")
_ArrayDisplay($array)
$s=_ArrayToString($array, ",", 1) ;avoid the problem of the default zero index
msgbox(0,"result", $s)

please post this in the manual (you can tweak the comments if you like) - and could you have an array section of the manual please? arrays are very important, they are a data type too. I don't know why they are missing from the data types in the docs.

I need something that's the equivalent of a C++ vector or list right now. I think that's what you were almost trying to achieve (what you have also works as a queue or stack, but note that these also must start at *empty*). it should be something that can start at *empty* (like for keeping track of the contents of a combo box or list box control) and I can find out the size of at any time, and
states that to make a zero-length array, you simply assign

some of your array functions by default treat arrays as if they can have a starting index of 0. this is incorrect. my best understanding is that arrays are 1-based, and that index 0 is used as the array size, but in my case I am finding that index 0 is entirely blank when I use _Array_Add(). maybe it's to show that the array index *can* be 0, though it should be 1. unfortunately, the default is 0. _ArrayBinarySearch, _ArrayConcatenate, _ArrayDisplay (iTranspose), _ArrayFindAll, ArraySearch, _ArrayMax, _ArrayMaxIndex, _ArrayMin, _ArrayMinIndex, _ArrayReverse, _ArraySort, _ArrayToClip, _ArrayToString, _ArrayTrim, _ArrayUnique (please decide on whether arrays are 0 or 1-based and make all your functions work accordingly! it's making my programs not work! and please be wise)

[mvg]

@OP: AutoIt feature.

@Dev: Doc(bug)(+3.3.7.10) not clear about "[subscript 1]" needing to be "1 to n-1" instead of the "0 to n-1" (valid for consecutive subscript's but not for first.).

[Valik]

I'm pretty sure this ticket is about the wrong thing. AutoIt arrays start at 0. If a function or set of functions choose to use a convention where element 0 is reserved to store the size of the array then that is their business. That does not meant all AutoIt arrays are 1-based or that all arrays have their size stored in element 0.

Regarding _ArrayAdd(), I would fully expect to see a line of code similar to the following in _ArrayAdd():

If Not UBound($array) Then Dim $array[1]

If it does not do that then it needs to because that is logical behavior. I'm leaving this ticket open solely because _ArrayAdd() does not behave in a sensible manner. The rest of the comments prior to this are rubbish and address the wrong thing.

[Stilez]

Looking only at the issue of zero length arrays, I hit this problem as well. There ought to be a way to create a zero size array, so that elements can be added programmatically using _ArrayAdd(). If you can (in 3.3.6.1) create a zero length array then the Help should say how, if not then a workaround should be in the help for that function.

Valik's idea might work.

[mvg]

Replying to Valik:

The rest of the comments prior to this are rubbish and address the wrong thing.

To what comment(s) are you revering to. I only see one.

If its just my comment. Well ... No surprise there of course.

I'm pretty sure this ticket is about the wrong thing.

Aha. No wonder I might have addressed the wrong thing than.

[Valik]

Replying to mvg:

To what comment(s) are you revering to. I only see one.

Your comment and the ticket creator's comment.

All this talk about 0-length arrays is dumb. Far too much stock is being put in having a magical bit flipped behind the scenes but it offers exactly no functionality improvements. If the suggested 0-length arrays are allowed then the exact same code I demonstrate in comment:3 still has to be written (and indeed would work completely unchanged).

All this boils down to is one or more _Array functions were poorly written and don't handle a very common and very obvious situation. No complex solutions need implemented in AutoIt. The function(s) need fixed to accept non-array variables and to turn them into arrays if that behavior makes sense. No more, no less.

Now please stop with all these useless comments addressing the wrong issue.

[trancexx]

I didn't saw this ticket earlier.
Anyway, zero size arrays are added in the meantime.
Next version of AutoIt has them. If _Array functions wouldn't be able to support them then make new report.