Hi All,
If completed a script which parses a string into fragments (fields), then
assigns these substrings into an array.

I wish to turn this into a function to which i can pass the string. However
i don't know how to get the contents of the array out?
I am used to passing parameters to a function, and getting a single result
back. Is there a way to get multiple results from a function?
Is it something to do with passing byVal or byRef?


Thanks in advance,

Gerry Abbott

Gerry Abbott wrote:
You can do it by passing in a string array or a variant byref
and having the method put values in the array.

Sub getByRef(ByRef s() As String)
Dim a(5) As String
a(0) = "yellow"
a(1) = "orange"
a(2) = "blue"
a(3) = "lemon"
a(4) = "tangerine"
a(5) = "pink"

s = a
End Sub

Sub testGetByRef()
Dim s() As String
Dim i As Integer
Call getByRef(s)

For i = 0 To UBound(s)
Debug.Print s(i)
Next
End Sub

You can also just return an array as the result of the function.

Function getStringArray() As String()
Dim a(5) As String
a(0) = "yellow"
a(1) = "orange"
a(2) = "blue"
a(3) = "lemon"
a(4) = "tangerine"
a(5) = "pink"

getStringArray = a
End Function

Sub testGetStringArray()
Dim s() As String
Dim i As Integer
s = getStringArray

For i = 0 To UBound(s)
Debug.Print s(i)
Next
End Sub

"Gerry Abbott" <please (AT) ask (DOT) ie> wrote

There was a recent discussion on ByVal/ByRef concerning how function
arguments are normally passed ByRef (unless you specify ByVal). This means
that the function can change those actual values and you could use this as a
way to get multiple values from a function - that is, you would get a single
result to say whether all the values had been loaded into the parameters you
passed:

Public Function GetMyValues(strFirstName As String, strLastName As String,
dteDOB As Date) As Boolean

' Do complicated processing to work out values
strFirstName="Steve"
strLastName="Smith"
dteDOB=DateSerial(1965,01,01)
' Return True to say we have set the values
GetMyValues=True

End Function

But this is not a method I have seen used very often. You could get you
function to return a string like:
"FirstName=Steve~LastName=Smith~DOB=1965-01-01" and split it up later. Or
you could get the function to return an array.

Or how about a user-defined data type, eg

Type Person
FirstName As String
LastName As String
DOB As Date
End Type

Public Function LoadPerson(psn As Person) As Boolean

psn.FirstName = "Steve"
psn.LastName = "Smith"
psn.DOB = DateSerial(1965, 1, 1)

LoadPerson = True

End Function

Public Sub TestPerson()

Dim psn As Person

If LoadPerson(psn) Then
MsgBox "hello I'm " & psn.FirstName & " " & psn.LastName
End If

End Sub

Thanks guys for the sharp response,
I had worked out the array passing, and my function is working properly this
way.

The solution you suggest using the user defined type looks like the most
elequent one for apps where the array is not appripriate. I'll give this one
a try for future reference. Need to work out which is quicker, array or
type. Also like how you suggest to set the function as a bolean type,
setting its value at the end of the function, then calling the function with
an expression. Neat.


Gerry

"Justin Hoffman" <j@b.com> wrote

On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 10:59:21 GMT, rkc
<rkc (AT) rochester (DOT) yabba.dabba.do.rr.bomb> wrote:

You can also pass a bunch of variables to a function as a ParamArray:

(This example was actually written by Joe Foster, of "Nuke Me Zemu"
legend)

Function RowAvg(ParamArray Stuff() As Variant) As Variant
Dim c As Integer: c = 0
Dim s As Variant
Dim i As Integer
For i = LBound(Stuff) To UBound(Stuff)
If IsMissing(Stuff(i)) Then
' skip it
ElseIf IsNull(Stuff(i)) Then
' skip it too
Else
s = s + Stuff(i)
c = c + 1
End If
Next
If c > 0 Then RowAvg = s / c Else RowAvg = Null
End Function


--
Drive C: Error. (A)bort (R)etry (S)mack The Darned Thing

Chuck Grimsby wrote:


That's nice, but using an array of a defined type would
clear up what the function actually expected to be passed
in. It's tough to guarantee a result when your only argument
will except any number of any data type, including objects.

On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 02:45:12 GMT, rkc
<rkc (AT) rochester (DOT) yabba.dabba.do.rr.bomb> wrote:

Personally, I quite agree! Indeed, I tend to write code in exactly
that fashion myself, but I also think it's important to know _all_ the
options, not just those I happen to agree with.


--
Drive C: Error. (A)bort (R)etry (S)mack The Darned Thing

Chuck Grimsby wrote:
You're right. So let's add that a paramarray is always optional, must
always be the last argument in the list and is always passed ByVal.
Always being passed ByVal means it can't be used as a way to
return values to the calling code.

rkc wrote:
Correct, except for the part stating that ParamArray arguments are
always passed ByVal and that it can't be used to return values to the
calling code.

rkc <rkc (AT) rochester (DOT) yabba.dabba.do.rr.bomb> wrote:
: Chuck Grimsby wrote:
:> On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 02:45:12 GMT, rkc
:> <rkc (AT) rochester (DOT) yabba.dabba.do.rr.bomb> wrote:
:>
:>
:>>Chuck Grimsby wrote:
:>>
:>>>You can also pass a bunch of variables to a function as a ParamArray:
:>>>(This example was actually written by Joe Foster, of "Nuke Me Zemu"
:>>>legend)
:>>>Function RowAvg(ParamArray Stuff() As Variant) As Variant
: You're right. So let's add that a paramarray is always optional, must
: always be the last argument in the list and is always passed ByVal.
: Always being passed ByVal means it can't be used as a way to
: return values to the calling code.

Does the ParamArray type have any useful function other than
reminding the coder what [s]he's doing? I would write such
code using an ordinary array and restricting it for the
functionality that I needed. Maybe that's because I've never
written code for a large project where it's assumed that
someone else will need to expand and maintain it.
--thelma