[Lazarus] const array syntax

Juha Manninen juha.manninen at phnet.fi
Sun Jan 10 17:40:49 CET 2010


On sunnuntai, 10. tammikuuta 2010 15:53:34 Hans-Peter Diettrich wrote:
> dmitry boyarintsev schrieb:
> >> At least the error message could mention the actual number of entries,
> >> as found in source code. This doesn't require any change to the language
> >> or compiler, only an change to the error message generation.
> >
> > lol, something like this?!
> 
> [...]
> 
> yes, something alike.
> 
> IMO it's a stupid idea to mix up syntax and semantics. Both the array
> dimension expression (in the declaration part) and the number of
> supplied entries (in the definition part) can be parsed and determined
> independently, based only on syntax. Then a semantical check can be
> appended, whether both amounts are different, and finally it's
> sufficient to show in the error message:
>    ... expected $1 values, found $2.

Sorry but I couldn't follow your thoughts here.
Earlier in this thread you gave support for this new syntax:

const
  IDECommandStrs: array[0..] of TIdentMapEntry = (

So what about semantics. The semantics here is that you don't need to define 
the upper bound for a const array.

From another message:
> IMO a syntax change is not necessary, and it wouldn't help when the
> array dimensions are described by an enumerated type, e.g.
>    array[TMyEnum] of ...

Right, when using enumerated type there is no problem. The problem comes when 
the number of items in an array is not relevant, or is not logically limited 
anyhow.
I copy the whole IDECommandStrs array below to demonstrate the problem.
Original upper bound was 201. Then I removed 3 items from the end of the array 
(+ made other changes in code) and tried to compile. Uhh...
Then I had to go 200 lines up in code to change the upper bound. I calculated 
like: "I removed 3 items, 201 - 3 ... must be 198." Then I deleted "201" and 
typed "198". Then I could compile the code. Then I added the original entries 
again to test more. Again I forgot to change the bound and tried to compile. 
Uhh...
I went 200 lines up in code again to change the upper bound. I deleted "198" 
and typed "201". Then the code compiled. I changed this array many times, 
sometimes forgetting the bounds and sometimes not, but even if I didn't forget 
it I still had to move 200 lines up in code to change the upper bound. I was 
pissed off!
This syntax is SOOOO from 1970. Only good thing is that you don't need to edit 
const arrays very often but when you do it is really irritating!

I even started studying FPC's own code to see if I could fix it.

So, the error message you proposed does not solve the problem. In a way it 
would make it more irritating because the compiler then reminds you about how 
easily it can count the elements but still forces you to type the number.

About semantics, we could make an analogy to enum type definitions here. You 
can write:
type
  TMyEnum = (meFirst, meAnother, meYetanother);

without defining bounds.


Juha Manninen


-----------------------

const
  IDECommandStrs: array[0..198] of TIdentMapEntry = (
    // search
    (Value: ecFind;                     Name: 'ecFind'),
    (Value: ecFindAgain;                Name: 'ecFindAgain'),
    (Value: ecFindNext;                 Name: 'ecFindNext'),
    (Value: ecFindPrevious;             Name: 'ecFindPrevious'),
    (Value: ecReplace;                  Name: 'ecReplace'),
    (Value: ecIncrementalFind;          Name: 'ecIncrementalFind'),
    (Value: ecFindProcedureDefinition;  Name: 'ecFindProcedureDefinition'),
    (Value: ecFindProcedureMethod;      Name: 'ecFindProcedureMethod'),
    (Value: ecGotoLineNumber;           Name: 'ecGotoLineNumber'),
    (Value: ecFindNextWordOccurrence;   Name: 'ecFindNextWordOccurrence'),
    (Value: ecFindPrevWordOccurrence;   Name: 'ecFindPrevWordOccurrence'),
    (Value: ecFindInFiles;              Name: 'ecFindInFiles'),
    (Value: ecJumpBack;                 Name: 'ecJumpBack'),
    (Value: ecJumpForward;              Name: 'ecJumpForward'),
    (Value: ecAddJumpPoint;             Name: 'ecAddJumpPoint'),
    (Value: ecViewJumpHistory;          Name: 'ecViewJumpHistory'),
    (Value: ecJumpToNextError;          Name: 'ecJumpToNextError'),
    (Value: ecJumpToPrevError;          Name: 'ecJumpToPrevError'),
    (Value: ecProcedureList;            Name: 'ecProcedureList'),

    // search code
    (Value: ecFindDeclaration;          Name: 'ecFindDeclaration'),
    (Value: ecFindBlockOtherEnd;        Name: 'ecFindBlockOtherEnd'),
    (Value: ecFindBlockStart;           Name: 'ecFindBlockStart'),
    (Value: ecOpenFileAtCursor;         Name: 'ecOpenFileAtCursor'),
    (Value: ecGotoIncludeDirective;     Name: 'ecGotoIncludeDirective'),

    // edit selection
    (Value: ecSelectionUpperCase;       Name: 'ecSelectionUpperCase'),
    (Value: ecSelectionLowerCase;       Name: 'ecSelectionLowerCase'),
    (Value: ecSelectionTabs2Spaces;     Name: 'ecSelectionTabs2Spaces'),
    (Value: ecSelectionEnclose;         Name: 'ecSelectionEnclose'),
    (Value: ecSelectionComment;         Name: 'ecSelectionComment'),
    (Value: ecSelectionUncomment;       Name: 'ecSelectionUncomment'),
    (Value: ecSelectionSort;            Name: 'ecSelectionSort'),
    (Value: ecSelectionBreakLines;      Name: 'ecSelectionBreakLines'),
    (Value: ecSelectToBrace;            Name: 'ecSelectToBrace'),
    (Value: ecSelectCodeBlock;          Name: 'ecSelectCodeBlock'),
    (Value: ecSelectWord;               Name: 'ecSelectWord'),
    (Value: ecSelectLine;               Name: 'ecSelectLine'),
    (Value: ecSelectParagraph;          Name: 'ecSelectParagraph'),
    (Value: ecSelectionConditional;     Name: 'ecSelectionConditional'),
    (Value: ecToggleComment;            Name: 'ecToggleComment'),

    // insert text
    (Value: ecInsertCharacter;          Name: 'ecInsertCharacter'),
    (Value: ecInsertGPLNotice;          Name: 'ecInsertGPLNotice'),
    (Value: ecInsertLGPLNotice;         Name: 'ecInsertLGPLNotice'),
    (Value: ecInsertUserName;           Name: 'ecInsertUserName'),
    (Value: ecInsertDateTime;           Name: 'ecInsertDateTime'),
    (Value: ecInsertChangeLogEntry;     Name: 'ecInsertChangeLogEntry'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSAuthor;          Name: 'ecInsertCVSAuthor'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSDate;            Name: 'ecInsertCVSDate'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSHeader;          Name: 'ecInsertCVSHeader'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSID;              Name: 'ecInsertCVSID'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSLog;             Name: 'ecInsertCVSLog'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSName;            Name: 'ecInsertCVSName'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSRevision;        Name: 'ecInsertCVSRevision'),
    (Value: ecInsertCVSSource;          Name: 'ecInsertCVSSource'),
    (Value: ecInsertModifiedLGPLNotice; Name: 'ecInsertModifiedLGPLNotice'),
    (Value: ecInsertTodo;               Name: 'ecInsertTodo'),
    (Value: ecInsertGUID;               Name: 'ecInsertGUID'),

    // source tools
    (Value: ecWordCompletion;           Name: 'ecWordCompletion'),
    (Value: ecCompleteCode;             Name: 'ecCompleteCode'),
    (Value: ecIdentCompletion;          Name: 'ecIdentCompletion'),
    (Value: ecSyntaxCheck;              Name: 'ecSyntaxCheck'),
    (Value: ecGuessUnclosedBlock;       Name: 'ecGuessUnclosedBlock'),
    (Value: ecGuessMisplacedIFDEF;      Name: 'ecGuessMisplacedIFDEF'),
    (Value: ecConvertDFM2LFM;           Name: 'ecConvertDFM2LFM'),
    (Value: ecCheckLFM;                 Name: 'ecCheckLFM'),
    (Value: ecConvertDelphiUnit;        Name: 'ecConvertDelphiUnit'),
    (Value: ecConvertDelphiProject;     Name: 'ecConvertDelphiProject'),
    (Value: ecConvertDelphiPackage;     Name: 'ecConvertDelphiPackage'),
    (Value: ecConvertEncoding;          Name: 'ecConvertEncoding'),
    (Value: ecMakeResourceString;       Name: 'ecMakeResourceString'),
    (Value: ecDiff;                     Name: 'ecDiff'),
    (Value: ecExtractProc;              Name: 'ecExtractProc'),
    (Value: ecFindIdentifierRefs;       Name: 'ecFindIdentifierRefs'),
    (Value: ecRenameIdentifier;         Name: 'ecRenameIdentifier'),
    (Value: ecInvertAssignment;         Name: 'ecInvertAssignment'),
    (Value: ecShowCodeContext;          Name: 'ecShowCodeContext'),
    (Value: ecShowAbstractMethods;      Name: 'ecShowAbstractMethods'),
    (Value: ecRemoveEmptyMethods;       Name: 'ecRemoveEmptyMethods'),
    (Value: ecRemoveUnusedUnits;        Name: 'ecRemoveUnusedUnits'),
    (Value: ecFindOverloads;            Name: 'ecFindOverloads'),

    // file menu
    (Value: ecNew;                      Name: 'ecNew'),
    (Value: ecNewUnit;                  Name: 'ecNewUnit'),
    (Value: ecNewForm;                  Name: 'ecNewForm'),
    (Value: ecOpen;                     Name: 'ecOpen'),
    (Value: ecRevert;                   Name: 'ecRevert'),
    (Value: ecSave;                     Name: 'ecSave'),
    (Value: ecSaveAs;                   Name: 'ecSaveAs'),
    (Value: ecSaveAll;                  Name: 'ecSaveAll'),
    (Value: ecClose;                    Name: 'ecClose'),
    (Value: ecCloseAll;                 Name: 'ecCloseAll'),
    (Value: ecCleanDirectory;           Name: 'ecCleanDirectory'),
    (Value: ecRestart;                  Name: 'ecRestart'),
    (Value: ecQuit;                     Name: 'ecQuit'),

    // IDE navigation
    (Value: ecToggleFormUnit;           Name: 'ecToggleFormUnit'),
    (Value: ecToggleObjectInsp;         Name: 'ecToggleObjectInsp'),
    (Value: ecToggleSourceEditor;       Name: 'ecToggleSourceEditor'),
    (Value: ecToggleCodeExpl;           Name: 'ecToggleCodeExpl'),
    (Value: ecToggleFPDocEditor;        Name: 'ecToggleFPDocEditor'),
    (Value: ecToggleMessages;           Name: 'ecToggleMessages'),
    (Value: ecToggleWatches;            Name: 'ecToggleWatches'),
    (Value: ecToggleBreakPoints;        Name: 'ecToggleBreakPoints'),
    (Value: ecToggleDebuggerOut;        Name: 'ecToggleDebuggerOut'),
    (Value: ecViewUnits;                Name: 'ecViewUnits'),
    (Value: ecViewForms;                Name: 'ecViewForms'),
    (Value: ecViewUnitDependencies;     Name: 'ecViewUnitDependencies'),
    (Value: ecViewUnitInfo;             Name: 'ecViewUnitInfo'),
    (Value: ecToggleLocals;             Name: 'ecToggleLocals'),
    (Value: ecToggleCallStack;          Name: 'ecToggleCallStack'),
    (Value: ecToggleSearchResults;      Name: 'ecToggleSearchResults'),
    (Value: ecViewAnchorEditor;         Name: 'ecViewAnchorEditor'),
    (Value: ecToggleCodeBrowser;        Name: 'ecToggleCodeBrowser'),
    (Value: ecToggleCompPalette;        Name: 'ecToggleCompPalette'),
    (Value: ecToggleIDESpeedBtns;       Name: 'ecToggleIDESpeedBtns'),
    (Value: ecViewComponents;           Name: 'ecViewComponents'),
    (Value: ecToggleRestrictionBrowser;  Name: 'ecToggleRestrictionBrowser'),
    (Value: ecViewTodoList;             Name: 'ecViewTodoList'),
    (Value: ecToggleRegisters;          Name: 'ecToggleRegisters'),
    (Value: ecToggleAssembler;          Name: 'ecToggleAssembler'),

    // sourcenotebook commands
    (Value: ecNextEditor;               Name: 'ecNextEditor'),
    (Value: ecPrevEditor;               Name: 'ecPrevEditor'),
    (Value: ecMoveEditorLeft;           Name: 'ecMoveEditorLeft'),
    (Value: ecMoveEditorRight;          Name: 'ecMoveEditorRight'),
    (Value: ecToggleBreakPoint;         Name: 'ecToggleBreakPoint'),
    (Value: ecRemoveBreakPoint;         Name: 'ecRemoveBreakPoint'),
    (Value: ecMoveEditorLeftmost;       Name: 'ecMoveEditorLeftmost'),
    (Value: ecMoveEditorRightmost;      Name: 'ecMoveEditorRightmost'),

    (Value: ecGotoEditor1;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor1'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor2;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor2'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor3;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor3'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor4;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor4'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor5;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor5'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor6;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor6'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor7;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor7'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor8;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor8'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor9;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor9'),
    (Value: ecGotoEditor0;              Name: 'ecGotoEditor0'),

    // marker
    (Value: ecSetFreeBookmark;          Name: 'ecSetFreeBookmark'),
    (Value: ecPrevBookmark;             Name: 'ecPrevBookmark'),
    (Value: ecNextBookmark;             Name: 'ecNextBookmark'),

    // compile menu
    (Value: ecBuild;                    Name: 'ecBuild'),
    (Value: ecBuildAll;                 Name: 'ecBuildAll'),
    (Value: ecQuickCompile;             Name: 'ecQuickCompile'),
    (Value: ecAbortBuild;               Name: 'ecAbortBuild'),
    (Value: ecRun;                      Name: 'ecRun'),
    (Value: ecPause;                    Name: 'ecPause'),
    (Value: ecStepInto;                 Name: 'ecStepInto'),
    (Value: ecStepOver;                 Name: 'ecStepOver'),
    (Value: ecRunToCursor;              Name: 'ecRunToCursor'),
    (Value: ecStopProgram;              Name: 'ecStopProgram'),
    (Value: ecResetDebugger;            Name: 'ecResetDebugger'),
    (Value: ecBuildLazarus;             Name: 'ecBuildLazarus'),
    (Value: ecBuildFile;                Name: 'ecBuildFile'),
    (Value: ecRunFile;                  Name: 'ecRunFile'),
    (Value: ecConfigBuildFile;          Name: 'ecConfigBuildFile'),
    (Value: ecInspect;                  Name: 'ecInspect'),
    (Value: ecEvaluate;                 Name: 'ecEvaluate'),
    (Value: ecAddWatch;                 Name: 'ecAddWatch'),

    // project menu
    (Value: ecNewProject;               Name: 'ecNewProject'),
    (Value: ecNewProjectFromFile;       Name: 'ecNewProjectFromFile'),
    (Value: ecOpenProject;              Name: 'ecOpenProject'),
    (Value: ecCloseProject;             Name: 'ecCloseProject'),
    (Value: ecSaveProject;              Name: 'ecSaveProject'),
    (Value: ecSaveProjectAs;            Name: 'ecSaveProjectAs'),
    (Value: ecPublishProject;           Name: 'ecPublishProject'),
    (Value: ecProjectInspector;         Name: 'ecProjectInspector'),
    (Value: ecAddCurUnitToProj;         Name: 'ecAddCurUnitToProj'),
    (Value: ecRemoveFromProj;           Name: 'ecRemoveFromProj'),
    (Value: ecViewProjectSource;        Name: 'ecViewProjectSource'),
    (Value: ecProjectOptions;           Name: 'ecProjectOptions'),

    // components menu
    (Value: ecOpenPackage;              Name: 'ecOpenPackage'),
    (Value: ecOpenPackageFile;          Name: 'ecOpenPackageFile'),
    (Value: ecOpenPackageOfCurUnit;     Name: 'ecOpenPackageOfCurUnit'),
    (Value: ecAddCurUnitToPkg;          Name: 'ecAddCurUnitToPkg'),
    (Value: ecPackageGraph;             Name: 'ecPackageGraph'),
    (Value: ecEditInstallPkgs;          Name: 'ecEditInstallPkgs'),
    (Value: ecConfigCustomComps;        Name: 'ecConfigCustomComps'),
    (Value: ecNewPackage;               Name: 'ecNewPackage'),

    // custom tools menu
    (Value: ecExtToolFirst;             Name: 'ecExtToolFirst'),
    (Value: ecExtToolLast;              Name: 'ecExtToolLast'),

    // option commmands
    (Value: ecRunParameters;            Name: 'ecRunParameters'),
    (Value: ecCompilerOptions;          Name: 'ecCompilerOptions'),
    (Value: ecExtToolSettings;          Name: 'ecExtToolSettings'),
    (Value: ecConfigBuildLazarus;       Name: 'ecConfigBuildLazarus'),
    (Value: ecEnvironmentOptions;       Name: 'ecEnvironmentOptions'),
    (Value: ecReserved1;                Name: 'ecReserved1'), // reserved
    (Value: ecEditCodeTemplates;        Name: 'ecEditCodeTemplates'),
    (Value: ecReserved2;                Name: 'ecReserved2'), // reserved
    (Value: ecCodeToolsDefinesEd;       Name: 'ecCodeToolsDefinesEd'),
    (Value: ecRescanFPCSrcDir;          Name: 'ecRescanFPCSrcDir'),

    // help menu
    (Value: ecAboutLazarus;             Name: 'ecAboutLazarus'),
    (Value: ecOnlineHelp;               Name: 'ecOnlineHelp'),
    (Value: ecReserved3;                Name: 'ecReserved3'), // reserved
    (Value: ecContextHelp;              Name: 'ecContextHelp'),
    (Value: ecEditContextHelp;          Name: 'ecEditContextHelp'),
    (Value: ecReportingBug;             Name: 'ecReportingBug'),

    // designer
    (Value: ecDesignerSelectParent;     Name: 'ecDesignerSelectParent'),
    (Value: ecDesignerMoveToFront;      Name: 'ecDesignerMoveToFront'),
    (Value: ecDesignerMoveToBack;       Name: 'ecDesignerMoveToBack'),
    (Value: ecDesignerForwardOne;       Name: 'ecDesignerForwardOne'),
    (Value: ecDesignerBackOne;          Name: 'ecDesignerBackOne')
  );




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