[Info-vax] DCL's flaws (both scripting and UI)

[David Froble]

Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2015-01-20, David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>> Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
>>
>>> OK, so a similar data type exist in the base Basic distribution?
>>> I thought not.
>> If your position is dependent upon a particular data type existing, then 
>> I submit the following:
>>
>>
>> 10	Dim L$(99,2)   ! Create an array of dynamic string descriptors
>>
>> 	<some code to load L$(index,1) with a key value
>> 	and L$(index,2) with the associated data>
>>
> ;+++
>> 	! This would be the "tool" to retrive data based upon the key
>> 	String Function RetriveData( <key> )
>> 		For I% = 1% to 99%
>> 			If	<key> = L$(I%,1%)
>> 			Then	RetriveData = L$(I%,2%)
>> 				Exit Function
>> 			End If
>> 		Next I%
>> 		RetriveData = ""
>> 	End Function
>>
>> 	! This would be a retrival
>> 	D$ = RetriveData( <some key> )
>>
> ;---
> 
> Based on your previous message, what you don't seem to have picked up
> on is that a dictionary is an associative data structure which means
> that in a DCL which supported associative arrays/dictionaries the code
> above between ";+++" and ";---" could be replaced with the following
> single DCL line:
> 
> $	value = L{some_string_containing_the_key}
> 
> assuming you use "{" and "}" to denote an array index and L is the
> associative array/dictionary. (You can't use "[" or "]" here as they
> are already taken by DCL.)
> 
> You could also dynamically add an element to or delete an element from
> the dictionary in a single DCL line as well.
> 
> Simon.
> 

Some code similar to what's between the +++ and --- would have to exist 
somewhere.  If part of DCL, fine, but must exist.

I was just showing that some new fangled data type in some new fangled 
language wasn't much different that what exists in one of the old 
compiled languages.