DIMENSION

DIMENSION

Class

Array Processing

Purpose

Declare an array

Syntax

DIMENSION <memvar> DIMENSION <array>[<expN>] | (<expN>) DIMENSION <array>[<expN1>,<expN2>] | (<expN1>,<expN2>)

See Also

APPEND FROM ARRAY, COPY TO ARRAY, DECLARE, GATHER, PRIVATE, PUBLIC, RELEASE, RESTORE, SAVE, SCATTER, AAVERAGE(), ACHOICE(), ACOPY(), ADEL(), ADIR(), AFIELDS(), AFILL(), AINS(), ALEN(), AMAX(), AMIN(), ASORT(), ASUM()

Description

The DIMENSION command is synonymous with the DECLARE command and is used to declare memory variables and fixed one or two-dimensional arrays. Memory variables declared using the DIMENSION command are initialized to .F. and are private to the declaring procedure.

The size of an array is fixed at its declaration. Both one and two dimensional arrays subscripts can be referenced using square brackets or round brackets.

[<expN>] | (<expN>)

For one-dimensional arrays, [<expN>] specifies the total number of elements in the array. Elements are subsequently referenced using the notation <array>[<expN>] or <array>(<expN>).

[<expN1>,<expN2>] | (<expN1>,<expN2>)

For two-dimensional arrays, <expN1> represents the number of rows and <expN2> represents the number of columns in the array. Elements are subsequently referenced by <array>[<expN1>,<expN2>] or <array>(<expN1>,<expN2>). The elements of a two dimensional array can also be referenced, as if the array were one dimensional, using <array>[<expN1>] or <array>(<expN>).

Arrays can be declared as any size. Values are assigned into arrays using the '=' operator. Arrays can then be used in a similar way to memory variables. Complete arrays can be initialized with one assignment. Array references start at 1,1 for two-dimensional arrays, and 1 for one-dimensional arrays. They can also be declared as private or public by using the PRIVATE and PUBLIC commands. Arrays can be saved to memory files with the SAVE TO command and then later restored with the RESTORE FROM command.

Notes: The brackets shown for this command do not indicate optional expressions but are a necessary part of the syntax.

Example

// Declare one-dimensional array of 4000 elements
dimension aTable[4000]
// Assign 0 to all elements
aTable = 0
// Insert individual element values into array
aTable[1] = 10
aTable[2] = "Hello"
aTable[3] = "World"
aTable[4] = date()
// Print value of element 2
? aTable[2]
Hello
 
// Another example
dimension twodim[3,3]
twodim[2,3] = "hello world"
? twodim[6]
hello world
 
// Another example
use payroll
dimension aPayroll[reccount(), fcount()]
copy to array aPayroll for city = "LONDON"

Products

Recital Database Server, Recital Mirage Server, Recital Terminal Developer