BasicTM Hummingbird Language
Programmer's Guide
8157-5M
Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide 0710 8157-5M 8/15/01 Hummingbird Ltd. 1 Sparks Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2H 2W1 Tel: [phone] Toll Free Canada/USA: 1-877-FLY-HUMM (1-877-359-4866) Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] or [e-mail] FTP: ftp.hummingbird.com For more information, visit www.hummingbird.com RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND. Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. The SOFTWARE is provided with restricted rights. Use, duplications, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1)(ii) of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013, subparagraph (c)(1) and (2) (a) (15) of the Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights clause at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable, similar clauses in the FAR and NASA FAR Supplement, any successor or similar regulation. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Hummingbird Ltd. Not all copyrights pertain to all products. 19902001 Hummingbird Ltd. All rights reserved. Exceed, Exceed 3D, Exceed onDemand, Exceed PowerSuite, Exceed X Development Kit, Exceed Web, HostExplorer Print Services, HostExplorer, HostExplorer Web, HostExplorer Deployment Wizard, Hummingbird Connectivity Security Pack, Hummingbird Basic Language, Hummingbird CAP, CAP Server, Hummingbird e-Toolkit, JuMP, Enterprise Toolkit for JuMP, Hummingbird e-Gateway, Hummingbird FTP, Hummingbird G2G, Hummingbird Web Server, Hummingbird SOCKS Client, NFS Maestro, NFS Maestro Gateway, NFS Maestro Server, NFS Maestro Solo, PrintExplorer, Web Update, and XWeb are trademarks of Hummingbird Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Some portions of the code have been contributed by MIT. Portions copyright Blue Sky Software Corporation. All rights reserved. All other copyrights, trademarks, and tradenames are the property of their respective owners. DISCLAIMER Hummingbird Ltd. software and documentation has been tested and reviewed. Nevertheless, Hummingbird Ltd. makes no warranty or representation, either express or implied, with respect to the software and documentation included. In no event will Hummingbird Ltd. be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software or documentation included with these products. In particular, Hummingbird Ltd. shall have no liability for any programs or data used with these products, including the cost of recovering such programs or data.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introducing Hummingbird Basic 1 About Hummingbird Basic ..................................................................................................... 3 Development Tools ................................................................................................ 4 Hummingbird Basic Features ................................................................................. 4 Accessibility .............................................................................................................................. 6 Microsoft Accessibility Options ............................................................................. 7 Hummingbird Information Resources .................................................................................. 8 Documentation Resources ..................................................................................... 8 Technical Support .................................................................................................. 9 Mailing Lists and User Groups ............................................................................... 9 Chapter 2: Hummingbird Basic Scripts 13 Sample Scripts ........................................................................................................................ 15 Programming Terminology .................................................................................................. 17 Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script ............................................................................ 18 Variable Scope ...................................................................................................... 19 Functions and Control Statements ...................................................................... 19 Control Statements ............................................................................................... 22 Variables, Constants, and Data Types .................................................................................. 22 Variables and Constants ....................................................................................... 23 Data Types ............................................................................................................ 24 Expressions and Operators ................................................................................................... 32 Numeric Operators .............................................................................................. 32 String Operators ................................................................................................... 32 Comparison Operators ......................................................................................... 33 Logical Operators ................................................................................................. 33
Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Programming Tips and Coding Suggestions ....................................................................... 34 Naming Variables and Constants ......................................................................... 34 Global Variables .................................................................................................... 34 Declaring Variables ............................................................................................... 34 Option Base .......................................................................................................... 34 Dynamic Array ...................................................................................................... 34 Runtime Error ...................................................................................................... 35 Controls ................................................................................................................ 35 Compatibility ........................................................................................................ 35 Checking for the Existence of PC Files ................................................................. 35 Using Win32 API .................................................................................................. 36 Network Logon Name .......................................................................................... 36 Always Visible Message Box ................................................................................. 37 Working with Windows Registry ......................................................................... 38 OLE Functions ...................................................................................................... 39 Error-Handling and Debugging ........................................................................................... 40 Error Types ........................................................................................................... 40 Debugging Scripts for Syntax and Logic Errors ................................................... 41 Handling Runtime Errors ..................................................................................... 42 Trapping Errors .................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 3: Using Development Tools to Edit Scripts 49 About Hummingbird Basic Workbench .............................................................................. 51 The Workbench Interface ..................................................................................... 51 Creating a Script File at a Glance ......................................................................... 53 Compiling and Running a Script File ................................................................................... 55 Running a Script File ............................................................................................ 55 Chapter 4: Designing Dialog Boxes 57 About Dialog Editor .............................................................................................................. 59 Dialog Editor Interface ......................................................................................... 59 Adding Controls to a Dialog Box ......................................................................................... 62 Aligning Controls in the Dialog Box .................................................................................... 63
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Setting Control Properties .................................................................................................... 64 Dialog Box Properties ........................................................................................... 65 Button Control Properties ................................................................................... 66 OptionButton Control Properties ........................................................................ 67 Text Control Properties ........................................................................................ 68 TextBox (Edit) Control Properties ....................................................................... 69 CheckBox Control Properties .............................................................................. 69 ListBox Control Properties ................................................................................... 70 StaticComboBox Control Properties ................................................................... 71 DropComboBox Control Properties .................................................................... 72 DropListBox Control Properties .......................................................................... 73 GroupBox Control Properties .............................................................................. 73 Picture Control Properties ................................................................................... 74 Integrating a Dialog Box into Your Script ........................................................................... 75 Defining the Dialog Box ....................................................................................... 76 Displaying the Dialog Box .................................................................................... 76 Dialog Statements and Functions ......................................................................................... 76 Writing a Dialog Function ................................................................................... 79 Putting It All Together .......................................................................................................... 82 Chapter 5: Hummingbird Basic Language Reference 87 Hummingbird Basic Statements and Functions .................................................................. 89 Arrays ................................................................................................................... 89 Compiler Directives ............................................................................................. 89 Control Flow ........................................................................................................ 90 Dates and Times ................................................................................................... 91 Declarations .......................................................................................................... 92 Defining Dialog Boxes .......................................................................................... 93 Running Dialog Boxes .......................................................................................... 94 Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) .......................................................................... 95 Environment Control ........................................................................................... 95 Error-Handling Functions ................................................................................... 96 Disk and Directory Control ................................................................................. 96 File Control .......................................................................................................... 97 File Input/Output ................................................................................................. 97 Financial Functions .............................................................................................. 99 Numeric Functions ............................................................................................... 99 Trigonometric Functions ....................................................................................100 Objects .................................................................................................................100 v
Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Screen Input/Output .......................................................................................... 101 String Functions ................................................................................................. 101 String Conversions ............................................................................................. 103 Variants ............................................................................................................... 103 Calling External Functions in a .dll .................................................................................... 104 Sample Script: Calling External Functions in a .dll ............................................ 104 Using Dynamic Data Exchange .......................................................................................... 105 DDE Sample Script ............................................................................................. 106 Glossary Index 109 113
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Chapter 1 Introducing Hummingbird Basic
About Hummingbird Basic Development Tools Hummingbird Basic Features Accessibility Microsoft Accessibility Options Hummingbird Information Resources Documentation Resources Technical Support Mailing Lists and User Groups
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Chapter 1: Introducing Hummingbird Basic
About Hummingbird Basic
Hummingbird BasicTM is a fully functional language that includes a Workbench for writing and compiling scripts, and a graphical drag-anddrop Dialog Editor for creating and designing an interface. Hummingbird Basic can be used to create scripts for the tasks you frequently perform and want to automate. For example, scripts can be created to automate routine tasks. The following are some common tasks that may require a Hummingbird Basic script:
If you often edit specific files on your PC, then transfer these files to several UNIX hosts. Create a script using the FTP API functions that will connect to the host, transfer the designated files, and then disconnect. If you need to perform the same actions on several IBM 3270 or 5250 hosts at the same time. Create a script file with the HLLAPI functions. This saves you from maintaining the same shell script on a number of different 3270 hosts. If you configure your computer differently depending on what you are working on, you could write a script to change your PC configuration back and forth. The script file would allow you to quickly and easily change the configuration without having to manually edit the files each time.
In addition to the Hummingbird Basic statements and functions, there is a set of API and OLE function calls which you can use to customize the following Hummingbird applications:
FTP HostExplorer
Hummingbird Basic also supports a number of Xlib API functions. These functions are used to create X clients for your PC.
Note: Xlib API commands are available only if you purchased the Exceed product. Use only the applications that have OLE API libraries with Hummingbird BASIC.
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Development Tools
Hummingbird Basic includes the following development tools: Workbench A development environment to write, compile and debug your scripts. Dialog Editor Accessed from Workbench, this drag-and-drop dialog box editor lets you design a dialog box without having to manually code one. When you are finished designing, the code for the dialog box is automatically generated and updated into your script.
Hummingbird Basic Features
If you are familiar with older versions of BASIC (those that predate Windows), you will notice that Hummingbird Basic includes many new features and changes from the language you have learned. Hummingbird Basic more closely resembles other higher level languages popular today, such as C and Pascal. The topics below describe some of the differences you will notice between the older versions of BASIC and Hummingbird Basic.
Line Numbers and Labels
Older versions of BASIC require numbers at the beginning of every line. More recent versions do not support these line numbers; in fact, they will generate error messages. If you want to reference a line of code, you can use a label. A label can be any combination of text and numbers. Usually, it is a single word followed by a colon (:), which is placed at the beginning of a line of code. These labels are used by the Goto statement.
Subroutines and Modularity of the Language
Hummingbird Basic is a modular language; code is divided into subprocedures and functions. The subprocedures and functions you write use the Hummingbird Basic statements and functions to perform actions.
Variable Scope
The placement of variable declarations determines their scope.
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Chapter 1: Introducing Hummingbird Basic
Data Types
Modern BASIC is now a typed language. In addition to the standard data types--numeric, string, array, and record--Hummingbird Basic also includes variants and objects. Variables that are defined as variants can store any type of data. For example, the same variable can hold integers one time, and then, later in a procedure, it can hold strings. Objects give you the ability to manipulate complex data supplied by an application, such as Windows, Forms, or OLE objects.
Dialog Box Handling
Hummingbird Basic contains extensive dialog box support to give you great flexibility in creating and running your own custom dialog boxes. You define a dialog box with dialog control statements between the Begin Dialog...End Dialog statements, and then display it using the Dialog statement (or function). Hummingbird Basic stores information about the selections the user makes in the dialog box. When the dialog box is closed, your program can access this information. Hummingbird Basic also includes statements and functions to display other types of boxes:
Message Boxes--Notify the user of an event. Password Boxes--Do not echo the user's keystrokes on the screen. Input Boxes--Prompt for a single line of input.
Financial Functions Hummingbird Basic includes a list of financial functions for calculating such things as loan payments, internal rates of return, or future values based on a company's cash flow.
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Date and Time Functions The date and time functions have been expanded to make it easier to compare a file's date to today's date, set the current date and time, time events, and perform scheduling-type functions (such as finding the date for next Tuesday). Object Handling Hummingbird Basic is an OLE automation controller. Any OLE-enabled application can be communicated with or controlled through a Hummingbird Basic script. The object data type permits your Hummingbird Basic code to access other software applications by manipulating the available OLE properties and methods of the other application. Environment Control Hummingbird Basic includes the ability to call another software application and send keystrokes to the application. Other environment control features include the ability to run an executable program, temporarily suspend processing to allow the operating system to process messages, and return values in the operating system environment.
Accessibility
Hummingbird products are accessible to all users. Wherever possible, our software was developed using Microsoft Windows interface standards and contains a comprehensive set of accessibility features. Keyboard shortcuts All menus have an associated keyboard shortcut. To access any menu, press Alt and the underlined letter in the menu name as it appears on the interface. For example, to access the File menu in any Hummingbird application, press Alt + F. Once you have opened a menu, you can access a menu item by pressing the underlined letter in the menu item name, or you can use the arrow keys to navigate the menu list. For menu items with an associated keyboard shortcut, the shortcut is listed on the menu to the right of the item. Directional arrows Use the directional arrows on the keyboard to navigate through menu items or to scroll vertically and horizontally. You can also use the directional arrows to navigate through multiple options. For example, if you have a series of radio buttons, you can use the arrow keys to navigate the possible selections. 6
Chapter 1: Introducing Hummingbird Basic
Tab key sequence To navigate through a dialog box, press the Tab key. Selected items appear with a dotted border. You can also press Shift + Tab to go back to a previous selection within the dialog box. Spacebar Press the Spacebar to toggle check boxes on and off or to select buttons in a dialog box. Esc Press the Esc key to close a dialog box without implementing any new settings. Enter Press the Enter key to select the highlighted item or to close a dialog box with the new settings. You can also press the Enter key to close all About boxes. ToolTips ToolTips appear for all functional icons. This feature lets users use Screen Reviewers to make interface information available through synthesized speech or through a refreshable Braille display.
Microsoft Accessibility Options
Microsoft Windows environments contain accessibility options that let you change how you interact with the software. This feature can add sound, increase the magnification, and create sticky keys. To access the Microsoft Windows Accessibility options, open Control Panel and click Accessibility. If you installed the Microsoft Accessibility components for your Windows system, you can also find other Accessibility tools on the Start menu under Programs/Accessories/Accessibility. To add the Accessibility components: 1 2 3 In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs. On the Setup tab, select the Accessibility Options check box and click Apply. Click OK.
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Hummingbird Information Resources
Hummingbird provides the following sources of information regarding your product.
Documentation Resources
Your product documentation set consists of both print and online sources. Manuals Hummingbird manuals contain conceptual information on your product; procedural information on installing and using the product and related applications; and some manuals contain programming reference, interface reference, and troubleshooting information. All manuals are available in print and online. The online versions require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 and are installed only if you do a Complete installation. Online Help The online Help is a comprehensive, context-sensitive collection of information regarding your Hummingbird product. It contains conceptual and reference information, and detailed, step-by-step procedures to assist you in completing your tasks. Release Notes The release notes for each product contain descriptions of the new features and details on release-time issues. They are available in both print and HTML. The HTML version is automatically installed when you install the software. Read the release notes before installing your product.
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Chapter 1: Introducing Hummingbird Basic
Technical Support
You can contact the Hummingbird Technical Support department Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Hummingbird Ltd. 1 Sparks Avenue, North York, Ontario, Canada M2H 2W1 Canada and the USA Technical Support: General Enquiry: Main: Fax: E-mail: FTP: Online Request Form: Web Site: 1-800-486-0095 1-877-FLY-HUMM [phone] [phone] [e-mail] ftp.hummingbird.com www.hummingbird.com/support/nc/request.html www.hummingbird.com/about/contact.html [phone] International
Mailing Lists and User Groups
For tips, additional help, and contact with other Hummingbird users on all operating systems, subscribe to Hummingbird Expos Online or join the user group dedicated to your Hummingbird product.
Subscribing to Hummingbird Expos Online
Hummingbird Expos Online is an electronic mailing list and online newsletter. It was created to facilitate the delivery of Hummingbird product-related information. It also provides tips, help, and interaction with Hummingbird users. To subscribe to Hummingbird Expos Online: 1 Open your web browser and type the following address:
http://www.hummingbird.com/expose/about.html
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
2
In the Subscribe section, type your full name, e-mail address, and language preference. Then click Subscribe.
Note: To discontinue your subscription, in the Unsubscribe section, type your e-mail address then click Unsubscribe.
To subscribe to the Mailing List or User Group: 1 Open your web browser and type the following address:
http://www.hummingbird.com/support/usergroups.html
2 3 4 5
On the User Groups and Mailing Lists page, click a product link. On the Archives page, scroll down to the Subscription Instructions. In the Online Subscriptions section, type the name you want to display on the User Group and your e-mail address. Click Subscribe. The browser opens a confirmation page to tell you your subscription was successful. You can now post messages to the User group. See posting instructions in Joining a User Group below.
Note: To discontinue your subscription, in the Online Unsubscriptions section, type your e-mail address then click Unsubscribe.
To search the mailing list archives: Go to the following web site:
http://www.hummingbird.com/support/usergroups.html
Joining a User Group through E-mail
The user group is an unmoderated electronic mailing list that facilitates discussion of product-related issues and UNIX issues to help users resolve common problems and to provide tips, help, and contact with other users.
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Chapter 1: Introducing Hummingbird Basic
To join a User Group: 1 2 Send an email to [e-mail]. Leave the Subject line blank. In the body of the e-mail message, type the following, depending on which product you are programming:
subscribe exceed-users Your Name subscribe hostexplorer-users Your Name subscribe nfsmaestro-users Your Name
To post a message to a User Group: Create an e-mail and send it to the following address, depending on which product you are programming:
[e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail]
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Chapter 2 Hummingbird Basic Scripts
Sample Scripts Programming Terminology Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script Variable Scope Functions and Control Statements Control Statements Variables, Constants, and Data Types Variables and Constants Data Types Expressions and Operators Numeric Operators String Operators Comparison Operators Logical Operators Programming Tips and Coding Suggestions Naming Variables and Constants Global Variables Declaring Variables Option Base Dynamic Array Runtime Error Controls Compatibility Checking for the Existence of PC Files Using Win32 API
15 17 18 19 19 22 22 23 24 32 32 32 33 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 36
Network Logon Name Always Visible Message Box Working with Windows Registry OLE Functions Error-Handling and Debugging Error Types Debugging Scripts for Syntax and Logic Errors Handling Runtime Errors Trapping Errors
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Sample Scripts
Before starting, you may find it useful to review the provided sample scripts. Source files (.ebs) and their associated compiled files (.ebx) are located in the user directory under
Applications Data\Hummingbird\Connectivity\version\Accessories\Eb
The following sample scripts are provided: dialog.ebs This sample script displays the various types of dialogs that Hummingbird Basic can use. It also stores information as shown below that you either select or press, and displays it when you press Exit.
Input Boxes OK, Cancel Button Text Boxes Combo Boxes Drop Down Lists List Boxes Option Groups Push Buttons
testftp.ebs FTP automation using OLE. This sample script demonstrates how you can use FTP OLE functions to log onto a host and download a file automatically. dde.ebs This sample script creates a Program Group called "XXX".
filelist.ebs This OLE example is a Hummingbird Basic macro that facilitates the downloading of files from a CMS or TSO account. It must be run from the "Ready" prompt of a CMS or TSO HostExplorer session. pastword.ebs This macro copies a screen from HostExplorer, starts Microsoft Word and pastes the screen to Word. You need to have HostExplorer running before you run the script.
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
sendrecv.ebs This Hummingbird Basic macro prompts for the name of a .bat file and executes any file transfer commands (that is Send or Receive) found within it. It must be run from the "Ready" prompt of a CMS or TSO HostExplorer session.
Note: This sample script is provided as is, and is intended solely to help you create your own scripts. It is not supported by Hummingbird Ltd.
test1.ebs This sample script lists the index of the field attribute which contains the field at the given position. You can also simply list each row of the screen instead. The current OIA is displayed below the list box. (Demonstrates usage of host.rows and host.columns methods). test2.ebs This script demonstrates how to access information using the Field object. In TCP3270, you can access the screen as an entire string, row by row, or using field objects. The advantage of the field objects is that they are not dependent upon their position. test3.ebs This is a demonstration of configuring TN3270 using the appropriate method. The Cfg3270 sub-object configures the emulator. Anything that can be configured via the user dialogs can be configured using the Cfg3270 object. test4.ebs This sample script demonstrates how to perform file transfers to a host system. The file transfer is implemented in an asynchronous manner allowing the script to continue to run while the file transfer is taking place. The method IsXfer tests if the file transfer is complete. You can also use the WaitXfer method to wait until the file transfer completes. test5.ebs This sample script demonstrates some of the window functions.
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Chapter 2: Hummingbird Basic Scripts
Programming Terminology
A program or a script is a logical series of instructions. Each instruction is based on a set of syntax rules. These rules are interpreted by the compiler. If the syntax in your script is clean and there are no errors, the compiler creates an .ebx file which you can run to carry out your task. The following elements make up a Hummingbird Basic script:
Variables--Variables are place holders for values. Variables are declared, named, and assigned a data type. Statements--Statements define how a task in the script is carried out. They provide the conditional logic or looping for a procedure. They also define the state of a dialog box such as its display and configuration. Functions--A function is a construct which, when executed, returns a value. Hummingbird Basic contains a variety of built-in functions you can use in your scripts. You can also write your own functions. Procedures--A procedure contains a set of variables and statements which you defined for the script. There are two different types of procedures in Hummingbird Basic: functions and subprocedures. A Hummingbird Basic script can contain one main subprocedure. When the script is run, the main subprocedure will be executed first. Expressions--An expression is a collection of terms which perform a mathematical or a logical operation. The terms are either variables or functions that are combined with an operator to evaluate a result. There are several types of operators. Error Handling--Error handling is a special set of instructions that enable your script to trap errors which may occur while your script is running.
For more information, see "Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script" on page 18.
For more information, see "Expressions and Operators" on page 32.
Additional terminology is included in the Glossary.
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script
A Hummingbird Basic script is broken up into manageable procedures, each performing a specific task or set of tasks. There are two procedure types in Hummingbird Basic:
Subprocedure--Subprocedures define parameters and do not return values. Function procedure--Function procedures return values.
A subprocedure is defined with the Sub...End Sub statement. You invoke it, either with the Call statement, or by entering it on a line by itself. If you use the Call statement, enclose any arguments you are passing to the subprocedure in parentheses. For example, the following two statements are equivalent:
GetFTP file1,file2,file3 Call GetFTP(file1,file2,file3)
A procedure must be defined in the script before it is invoked. If you don't place your procedure above a procedure that references it, then use the Declare statement to forward declare a procedure. All Hummingbird Basic scripts must contain a main subprocedure. The main subprocedure is the starting point of the script. All function procedures must eventually trace back to the main subprocedure. Since the main subprocedure usually calls other procedures, it can be placed near the end of the script.
Note: A Hummingbird Basic script can contain only one main subprocedure.
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Variable Scope
The placement of variable declarations determines their scope.
Scope Local Definition Dimensioned inside a subprocedure or function. The variable is accessible only to the subroutine or function from which it was dimensioned. Dimensioned outside any subroutine or function. The variable is accessible to any subprocedure or function in the same file. Dimensioned outside any subroutine or function using the
Module Global
Global statement. The variable is accessible to any subroutine
or function in any module (file).
Functions and Control Statements
Functions and control statements determine the results of your script. A function calculates and returns values as determined by its arguments. A control statement directs the flow of logic during the execution of commands.
Functions and Function Arguments
Functions return values. You can use arguments to pass information required to compute a returned value. Functions may or may not have arguments. Arguments may or may not be enclosed within parentheses ( ). Whether or not you use parentheses depends on how you want to pass the argument to the function subprocedure. The argument can be passed either by value or by reference. If an argument is passed by value, it means that the variable used for that argument retains its value when the function returns to the caller. If an argument is passed by reference, it means that the variable's value might be (and probably will be) changed for the calling procedure. For example, suppose you set the value of a variable X to 5, and pass X as an argument to
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
a subprocedure, named mysub. If you pass X by value to mysub, the value of X will always be 5 after mysub returns. If you pass X by reference to mysub, however, X could be 5 or any other value depending on the outcome of
mysub.
To pass an argument by value, use one of the following syntax options:
Call mysub((X)) mysub(X)
or
y=myfunction((X)) Call myfunction((X))
To pass an argument by reference, use one of the following options:
Call mysub(X) mysub X
or
y=myfunction(X) Call myfunction(X)
Externally declared subprocedures and functions (such as .dll functions) can take byVal arguments. In this case, those arguments are always passed by value.
Named Arguments
When you call a function that takes arguments, you usually supply values for those arguments by listing them in the order shown in the syntax for the statement or function. For example, suppose you define a function this way:
myfunction(id$,action%,suppvalue&)
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Myfunction requires three arguments: id, action, and value. When you call
this function, you supply those arguments in the order shown. If the function contains just a few arguments, it is fairly easy to remember the order of each of the arguments. However, if a function has several arguments, and you want to be sure the values you supply are assigned to the correct arguments, use named arguments. Named arguments are identified by name rather than by their position in the syntax. To use a named argument, use the following syntax:
namedarg:=value
Using this syntax for myfunction, you get:
myfunction id:=1, action:="get", value:=0
The advantage of named arguments is that you do not need to remember the original order in which they were listed in the syntax. The following function call is also correct:
myfunction action:="get",value:=0,id:=1
With named arguments, order is not important. The other significant advantage to using named arguments is that when you call functions or subroutines that have a mix of required and optional arguments, you do not need to use commas as place holders in the syntax for the optional arguments. You can specify just the arguments you want to use and their values, and forget about their order in the syntax. For example, if myfunction is defined as:
myfunction(id,action,value, Optional counter)
You could use named arguments as follows:
myfunction id:="1",action:="get",value:="0"
or
myfunction value:="0",counter:="10",action:="get",id:="1" Note: Although you can shift the order of named arguments, you cannot omit required arguments.
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Control Statements
Control statements provide the flow of logic in your script. These statements direct the script as to when, if, and how a set of commands are performed and executed. The following control statements can be included in your script:
If...Then... Else For...Next Do...Loop While...Wend Select Case On...Goto
This example shows the use of an If...Then...Else conditional statement:
Sub Main If myvariable = 0 Then msgbox "Are you sure you want to restart?" Else msgbox "Are you sure you want to quit?" End If End Sub
Variables, Constants, and Data Types
Variables store values that are returned from statements and functions. A variable is given a name, and then assigned a data type. Its data type determines the kind of value that is stored by the variable. Hummingbird Basic supports standard BASIC data types such as Numeric, String, record, array, and Variant data types. With the exception of Variant type variables, the variable you define can contain only data of the declared type. In addition to this, Hummingbird Basic also supports Dialog Box Records and Objects as data types.
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Variables and Constants
The following may be defined in a script:
Dimensioned Variables Defined Constants Global Variables Static Variables
Note: The name you give to a variable or constant can contain letters, numbers, and underscores. It is generally a good idea to give your variables meaningful names so that they can be easily recalled and understood when debugging your script.
To declare a variable in Hummingbird Basic, use the Dim statement. When a variable is declared, it is valid only in the commands that follow the declaration.
Dimensioned Variables
For more information on variable scoping, see "Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script" on page 18.
If a variable is declared at the beginning of your script with the Dim statement, it is available throughout the script. To reduce the scope of a variable to a function or a subprocedure, either declare the variable in the function, or in the body of the subprocedure. For example:
Function interact(id$) Dim myvariable as Integer End Function
Defined Constants
Defined constants retain the value they are assigned throughout a script, whenever they are referenced in a function or statement. Constant variables are declared with the Const statement. For example:
Const conPI= 3.14159265358979
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Hummingbird BasicTM Language Programmer's Guide
Global Variables
Declare a global variable only if you want to keep the same variable type for all of your related Hummingbird Basic modules. Global data is shared across all loaded modules. If an attempt is made to load a module that has a global variable of a different data type than the existing global variable of the same name, the module load will fail.
Note: It is best to limit global variable usage.
Static Variables
For more information on static variables, see Hummingbird Basic Language Help.
A Static variable retains its value when it is called from one function to another. These variable types are generally used by advanced users.
Data Types
As you name and declare your variable, you assign it a data type. The data type determines what kind of value is stored in the variable. The variable can only contain data of the declared type, except when you implicitly or explicitly declare a variable as a Variant data type. If a variable is not explicitly defined with the Dim or Global statements, or is not declared a data type (implicitly declared), then it defaults to the Variant data type.
Note: It is generally good programming practice to explicitly declare all your variables. If variables have not been declared, it may be impossible to track errors that arise in a long and complicated script. To force variable declaration, use the Option Explicit command.
The following data types are supported by Hummingbird Basic:
Variant Numeric String Object
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Another way to explicitly declare a variable and its type, without having to type out the entire syntax, is to use data type characters. Data type characters are appended to the end of your variable name. For example, these two statements are equivalent:
Dim bird As String Dim bird$
The following data type characters can be used:
Character $ % & ? ! # @ Type Dynamic String Integer Long Integer Portable integer Single precision floating point Double precision floating point Currency exact fixed point 1 byte 2 bytes Description Alphanumeric 1 byte 2 bytes
Variant
A Variant variable can hold any type of data. This variable changes its data type depending on how it is assigned. To examine the type of data that a Variant variable contains, use the VarType function. Values returned by this function are explained in the table below.
Variant Type 0 1 2 3 Name Empty Null Integer Long Size of Data 0 0 2 bytes (short) 4 bytes (long) Range N/A N/A -32768 to 32767 -2.147E9 to 2.147E9
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Variant Type 4 5 6 7 8 9
Name Single Double Currency Date String Object
Size of Data 4 bytes (float) 8 bytes (double) 8 bytes (fixed) 8 bytes (double) 0 to ~64kbytes N/A
Range -3.402E38 to -1.401E-45 (negative) -1.797E308 to -4.94E-324 (negative) 4.94E-324 to 1.797E308 (positive) -9.223E14 to 9.223E14 January 1st, 0100 to December 31st, 9999 0 to ~64 characters N/A
Any newly defined Variant defaults to the Empty type to signify that it contains no initialized data. An empty Variant converts to zero when used in a numeric expression, or an empty string in a string expression.
Null Variants have no associated data, and serve only to represent invalid or ambiguous results. Null is not the same as Empty, which indicates that a
Variant has not yet been initialized.
Numeric
If the variable you declare in your script is a number, you should define its type. There are six Numeric types. These types are shown in the table below.
Type Integer Long Single From -32,768 -2,147,483,648 -3.402823e+38 0.0, 1.401298e-45 To 32,767 2,147,483,647 -1.401298e-45, 3.402823466e+38
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Type Double
From -1.797693134862315d+308 0.0, 2.2250738585072014d-308 -922,337,203,685,477.5808 In Windows it is the same as Integer.
To -4.94065645841247d-308, 1.797693134862315d+308 922,337,203,685,477.5807 In Windows NT and Windows 95 environments, it is the same as Long.
Currency PortInt
Note: Hummingbird Basic has no true Boolean variables. Hummingbird Basic considers 0 to be False and any other numeric value to be True. Only numeric values can be used as Booleans. Comparison operator expressions always return 0 for False and -1 for True.
Integer constants can be expressed in decimal, octal, or hexadecimal notation. Decimal constants are expressed by using the decimal representation. To represent an octal value, precede the constant with &O or &o. For example, &o177. To represent a hexadecimal value, precede the constant with &H or &h. For example, &H8001.
Note: Constants can also be followed by data type characters.
String
String variables contain text. String length can be either fixed or dynamic. Fixed strings have a length specified when they are defined, and the length cannot be changed. Fixed strings cannot be of 0 length. Dynamic strings have no specified length. A string can vary in length from 0 to 32,767 characters. There are no restrictions on the type of characters which can be included in a string. For example, the character whose binary value is 0 can also be embedded in strings.
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Object
An object is a special data type. Objects let you communicate with another Windows application using OLE automation. You can use Hummingbird Basic as an automation controller to manipulate another application. An object is a complex data type in which the elements of the data type are the methods and properties of the other application. Properties This determines how an object behaves. For example, width can be a property of a range of cells in a spreadsheet; colors are a property of graphs; and margins are a property of word processor documents. Methods document.
Note: The Hummingbird Telnet application is an OLE automation server. Telnet contains its own object methods and properties that you can access and manipulate with a Hummingbird Basic script.
This causes the application to do something. Examples are:
Calculate for a spread sheet, Snap to Grid for a graph, and Autosave for a
Use the Dim statement to declare an OLE Object as follows:
Dim Telnet as Object
Array
An Array is a predefined range or series of variables. You must specify the data type of an array. Hummingbird Basic arrays can be any one of the following:
Numeric String Variant Record
Arrays of arrays, and dialog box records, are not supported.
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Use the following syntax for declaring an array variable:
Dim variablename (SubscriptRange, ...) As datatype
where SubscriptRange is of the format:
StartSubscript To EndSubscript
For example:
Dim lifespan(0 to 75) As Integer
Subscripts specify the beginning and ending index for each dimension. If you specify only an ending index, then the beginning index depends on the Option Base setting. The Option Base statement specifies the lower bound to be used for array subscripts. The lower bound can be either 0 or 1. If no Option Base is specified, then the default of 0 is used.
Note: The Option Base statement is not allowed inside a procedure, and must precede any use of arrays in the module. Only one Option Base statement is allowed per module.
Dynamic Array
If you do not know what the size of your array is going to be, then use a dynamic array. Dynamic arrays differ from fixed arrays in that you do not specify a subscript range for the array elements when you declare the array. Instead, the subscript range is set using the ReDim statement. For example, you might want to use an array to store a set of values entered by a user, but you do not know in advance how many values the user will enter. In this case, dimension the array without specifying a subscript range, and then execute a ReDim statement (which reallocates memory) each time the user enters a new value. If the dynamic array is dimensioned with the Dim statement, then 8 is the maximum number of dimensions it can have. To create dynamic arrays with more dimensions (up to 60), do not Dim the array; instead, use the ReDim statement inside your procedure.
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The following procedure uses a dynamic array, varray, to hold cash flow values entered by the user:
Sub Main Dim aprate as Single Dim varray() as Double Dim cflowper as Integer Dim msgtext Dim x as Integer Dim netpv as Double cflowper = InputBox("Enter number of cash flow periods") ReDim varray(cflowper) For x = 1 to cflowper varray(x) = InputBox("Enter cash flow amount for period #" & x & ":") Next x aprate = InputBox("Enter discount rate: ") If aprate > 1 then aprate = aprate/100 End If netpv = NPV(aprate,varray()) msgtext = "The net present value is: " msgtext = msgtext & Format(netpv, "Currency") MsgBox msgtext End Sub
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Record
A record, or record variable, is a data structure containing one or more elements, each of which has a value. Where an array defines a range of values, all of the same data type (for example, String or Integer), a record variable references a range of values that can be of different data types.
Note: You cannot use data type character suffixes when using record data types.
Before defining a record element as a variable, you must assign each element a type, using the Type statement. The following example defines phone_number as a data type:
Type phone_number phone as String area_code as String End Type
By declaring phone_number as a Type, you can use it to declare a variable. The elements of each record type are referenced using dot notation. For example:
Dim Joe as phone_number Joe.phone = "967-2222" Note: Records can contain elements that are, themselves, records.
Dialog box records are treated as record data types as well. Elements or controls are referenced using the same dialogname.controlname syntax. The difference is that each element is tied to a control of a dialog box.
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Expressions and Operators
Expressions perform calculations, set variables, or concatenate strings. Operators are used in expressions to combine one or more terms. The terms are variables, constants, or functions which are combined with an operator, evaluating to a string or numeric result. There are several different categories of operators:
Numeric Operators String Operators Comparison Operators Logical Operators
Numeric Operators
These operators are used in arithmetic expressions:
Operand ^ *,/ \ MOD -,+ Explanation Exponentiation Numeric multiplication or division. For division, the result is Double. Integer division. The operands can be Integer or Long. Modulus or remainder. The operands can be Integer or Long. Numeric addition and subtraction. These can also be used to indicate whether the number is positive or negative.
String Operators
These operators are used to combine or concatenate two or more strings:
Operand & + Explanation String Concatenation String Concatenation
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Comparison Operators
When using comparison operators with numbers, the operands are widened to the type with the smallest size (Integer is preferred over Long, which is preferred over Double). For String operators, the comparison is case-sensitive, and is based on the collating sequence used by the language specified in the Windows Control Panel.
Operand > < = <= >= <> Explanation Greater than Less than Equal to Less than or equal to Greater than or equal to Not equal to Returns 0 for False and -1 for True 0 for False and -1 for True 0 for False and -1 for True 0 for False and -1 for True 0 for False and -1 for True 0 for False and -1 for True
Logical Operators
The logical operators perform logical evaluations on one or more expressions. The result of logical operations is either True or False.
Operand Not And Or Xor Eqv Imp Explanation Not operands can be Integer or Long. The operation is performed bitwise (ones complement). And operands can be Integer or Long. The operation is performed bitwise. Inclusive Or operands can be Integer or Long. The operation is performed bitwise. Exclusive Or operands can be Integer or Long. The operation is performed bitwise. Equivalence operands can be Integer or Long. The operation is performed bitwise. (A Eqv B) is the same as (Not (A Xor B)). Implication operands can be Integer or Long. The operation is performed bitwise (A Imp B) and is the same as ((Not A) Or B).
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Programming Tips and Coding Suggestions
The following tips and suggestions are intended to help reduce the errors returned when creating scripts with Hummingbird Basic.
Naming Variables and Constants
The name you give to a variable or to a constant can contain letters, numbers, and underscores. It is advisable to give variables and constants meaningful names so they can be easily recalled and understood when debugging a script.
Global Variables
Limit the use of global variables to avoid a module load failure. Global data is shared across all loaded modules, so when you attempt to load a module which has a different data type variable than that of the existing global variable with the same name, it results in the module failing to load.
Declaring Variables
Explicitly declare all variables, especially so that error tracking is possible in long and complicated scripts. Use the Option Explicit command to force the use of variable declarations.
Option Base
The Option Base statement specifies the lower bound to be used for array subscripts. This statement is not allowed inside a procedure, and it must precede any use of arrays in the module. Only one Option Base statement is allowed per module.
Dynamic Array
Eight is the maximum number of dimensions for a dynamic array being dimensioned using the Dim statement. However, to create dynamic arrays with more dimensions (up to 60), use the ReDim statement instead of the Dim statement inside your procedure.
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Runtime Error
Have a routine in your script that handles runtime errors, such as if the user tries to log onto a non-existent host, or enters text into a field where only numbers are accepted.
Controls
Before aligning the controls for a dialog box, click the Grid toolbar button to turn the grid on.
Compatibility
You can use a single set of source code to create applications that run on Windows NT/95/98/Me/2000. To create an application, load the source code into Hummingbird Basic and make an.ebx file.
Checking for the Existence of PC Files
Hummingbird Basic does not provide any built-in means of indicating whether a particular file is on a PC. The usual BASIC technique to check if a file exists is to use either the DIR or the DIR$ function, as shown below. To do this, pass the file name to the DIR function and check the return value of the function. If the function returns nothing, then that file does not exist.
TheFile$ = Dir$ ("C:\Program Files\Hummingbird\Connectivity\ version\Exceed\exceed.exe If len(theFile$) < 1 then msgbox "no such file" else msgbox theFile$ end if
To find a file on a Unix computer, use the same technique, but instead of DIR$, use the string returned by the UNIX ls file name command.
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Using Win32 API
You do not need the Win32 SDK to make Windows API calls from Hummingbird Basic. Take advantage of Windows API functions to extend the Hummingbird Basic functionality, provided they are properly declared.
Declare function GetUserName Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "GetUserNameA" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, nSize AS Long) As Long Sub Main strBuffer$ = String$ (255, 0) RetVal& = GetUserName (strBuffer$, 255) UserName$ = Trim$ (strBuffer$) UserName$ = Left$ (UserName$, Len(UserName$) - 1) MsgBox UserName$, , Len(UserName$) End Sub
Network Logon Name
To retrieve a user's network logon name, make the following API call:
Declare function GetUserName Lib "advapi32.dll" _ Alias "GetUserNameA" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, nSize As Long) As Long sub main strBuffer$ = String$ (255, 0) RetVal& = GetUserName(strBuffer$, 255) UserName$ = Trim$ (strBuffer$) UserName$ = Left$(UserName$, Len(UserName$) - 1) msgbox UserName$, ,Len(UserName$) end sub
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Always Visible Message Box
At times, a message box that was hidden behind other windows may appear giving the impression your application is hung. When this happens, check the Taskbar to discover the message box. If that is problematic, then use the MessageBox API function, instead of the MsgBox function which allows you to call the message box with the MB_SYSTEMMODAL flag, as shown below. This method always displays your message box on top of all other windows.
Declare Function MessageBox Lib "user32" Alias "MessageBoxA" _ (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpText As String, ByVal lpCaption As _ String, ByVal uType As Long) As Long Const Const Const Const Const Const box!" Const MB_ICONEXCLAMATION = &H30& MB_yesno = &H4& IDYES = 6 IDNO = 7 text = "Please click on one of the buttons below." msg_$ = "Now click on your desktop anywhere outside this caption_$ = "HUMMINGBIRD Basic Tips"
Sub Main dim boxCaption$ dim boxMsg$ boxType& = MB_SYSTEMMODAL + MB_ICONEXCLAMATION + MB_YESNO if (MessageBox (0, text, caption_$, boxType&) = IDYES) then boxCaption$ = "YES Pressed !" boxMsg$ = msg_$ ' if you click outside this message box it will stay visible else boxCaption$ = "NO Pressed !" boxMsg$ = msg_$ end if MsgBox boxMsg$, ,boxCaption$ End Sub
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Working with Windows Registry
The following example shows the usage of some of the main registry functions, and how they have to be declared.
Declare function RegOpenKey Lib "advapi32.dll" _ Alias "RegOpenKeyA" (ByVal hkey?, ByVal SubKey$, key&) As Long Declare function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" _ Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hkey&, ByVal subKeyStr$, ByVal _ fdwType&, ByVal dattype%, ByVal data$, ByVal datLen&) As Long Declare function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hkey&) As Long Function SetValue$(keyname$, value$) dim key& if RegOpenKey (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, "", key) <> ERROR_SUCCESS then SetValue = "Cannot open key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" Exit Function end if if RegSetValueEx (key, keyname, REG_SZ, 0, value, len(value)) <> ERROR_SUCCESS then SetValue = "Cannot set value of key: " + keyname end if if RegCloseKey (key) <> 0 then SetValue = "Cannot close key: " + keyname end if End function Sub Main
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OLE Functions
Use OLE automation to work with FTP and Telnet using Hummingbird Basic. The following two examples show you how you could execute an FTP session. 1 You have to declare an object as a data type before you can use the object's methods.
dim FtpEngine As Object dim FtpSession As Object dim FtpSessions As Object ' Must first initialilze Ftp Engine Set FtpEngine = CreateObject ("HclFtp.Engine") 'Create collection of sessions on error goto FtpSessionsError Set FtpSessions = FtpEngine.Sessions 'Create FTP session on error goto FtpSessionError SetFtpSession = FtpSessions.NewSession FtpSessions.LocalDefaultDirectory = "c:\temp" 'normally should be_ taken via dialog
2
Make all other initializations.
FtpSession.ConnectToHost FtpSession.Userlogin FtpSession.Mget "hostfiles"'transfer files FtpSession.DisconnectFromHost 'close connection and destroy objects Set FtpSession = Nothing SetFtpSessions = Nothing FtpEngine.Quit Set FtpEnging = Nothing
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The following example shows how the start of a Telnet session can look:
' if current EMPTY telnet session exists, get it as a tn object or step to the next line: Set tn = GetObject (, "Hummingbird.Telnet") 'if failed to get existing object, create new telnet_ object If tn is Nothing then Set tn = CreateObject("Hummingbird.Telnet") end if loginEvent = tn.LookForString(loginPrompt) 'look for the login_ and password prompt passwordEvent = tn.LookForString(passwordPrompt)
Use the methods and properties of the tn object.
Error-Handling and Debugging
Error-handling refers to a set of functions and statements that trap errors arising during the execution of the script. Error-handling is generally one of the most problematic processes.
Error Types
After you compile or run your script, any or all of the following types of errors may be detected:
Syntax errors--These are errors which occur in the script as a result of misspelling a statement or function or using either one incorrectly, for example, errors in language syntax and programming logic. To help you fix syntax errors, the Hummingbird Script Editor highlights language syntax errors in red after a script is compiled.
Note: A common syntax error is typing Endif instead of End If. There is a space between the word End and the word If.
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Logic errors--These are errors that occur because of faulty logic, for example, infinite loops and incorrect values returned by functions. These types of errors generally cause unexpected results during the execution of your script. Runtime errors--These errors occur because the user takes an unforeseen action. For example, the user tries to log on to a host that does not exist, or types text into a field that accepts only numbers. You should have a routine for these scenarios included in your script that handles runtime errors. Runtime errors are handled through a set of error-handling functions and statements.
Debugging Scripts for Syntax and Logic Errors
The debugger assists you in locating and correcting syntax and logic errors in your Hummingbird Basic program. It allows you to slow down or suspend the execution of your program so that the flow of the program and the contents of declared variables can be examined. Debug mode is invoked in the following ways:
Clicking the Step Into toolbar button--This causes the execution of the Main subprocedure in the current script file. Execution is suspended and the debugger is activated. The first line of the Main subprocedure is highlighted. Setting breakpoints in the current buffer--Execution is suspended when one of the lines that contains a breakpoint is about to be executed. The debugger is activated, and it highlights the line containing the breakpoint. Pressing the Pause toolbar button when a program is executing-- Execution is suspended, and the debugger is activated. The line that was about to be executed is highlighted. During execution, the program encounters an unhandled runtime error--Execution is suspended, the debugger is activated, and the line containing the error is highlighted.
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When in debug mode, the Call Stack Control displays all Hummingbird Basic subprocedures and function calls that got you to the current line. Open the Variables window to examine the contents of variables in the currently selected call frame.
Note: Lines that contain syntax errors appear in red text. The Error Messages and a short description of the error, if available, are displayed in the Output window.
Handling Runtime Errors
Hummingbird Basic provides the following functions and statements to deal with runtime errors in your script:
Function/Statement Assert Erl Err Function Err Statement Error Error Function On Error Resume Explanation Trigger an error, if a condition is false. Return the line number where a runtime error occurred. Return a runtime error code. Set the runtime error code. Generate an error condition. Return a string representing an error. Control runtime error handling. End an error-handling subprocedure.
Trapping Errors
Hummingbird Basic provides two methods for handling errors: On Error Resume Next Use this statement to bypass an error and continue to execute the script. The On Error Resume Next statement must appear before the line that produces the error.
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On Error Goto label Use this statement to direct the execution of the script to the specified label. When this error trap is set, it remains in effect until the procedure finishes running. You can redirect the error trap with another On Error statement in the procedure. If you want to cancel the existing error trap without setting up another one, use the On Error GoTo 0 statement. All error handling subprocedures begin with the On Error statement and end either with the Resume statement or the Goto statement. Unless an On Error statement is used, any run-time error terminates the execution of the script. Error-handling procedures are embedded within a subprocedure, usually near the end of a subprocedure. If a Goto statement is used, the Resume statement is expected at the end of the error-handling code. To display a description of an error, use the Error(err) function as shown below:
err = 11 msgbox Error$(Err)
The "Division by zero" message is displayed.
Examples of Trapping General Errors
The following examples illustrate the different methods of error trapping. Example 1 This example places error-handling code immediately following the statement in which the error occurred. It uses the Resume Next statement to direct the code to continue execution when an error has occurred.
Sub Main Dim userdir in1: userdrive = InputBox("Enter Drive:",,"C:") On Error Resume Next Err = 0 ChDrive userdrive If Err = 68 then MsgBox "Invalid Drive. Try Again." Goto in1 End If End Sub
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The On Error statement identifies the line of code to go to if an error occurs. In this case, the Resume Next parameter continues execution on the next line of code after the error. In this example, the line of code that handles errors is the If statement. It uses the Err statement to determine which error code is returned. Example 2 This example places error-handling code immediately following a label.
Note: Resume is placed at the end of the error-handling code.
Sub Main Dim userdir, msgtext on error goto Errhdlr1 in2: userdir = InputBox("Enter Directory.") ' error generated here Chdir userdrive & "\" & userdir MsgBox "New Default Directory is: " & userdrive & "\" & userdir Exit Sub Errhdlr1:' handle error here Select Case Err Case 75 msgtext = "Path is invalid" Case 76 msgtext = "Path not found" Case else msgtext = "Error" & err & "" & Error$ & " occured" End Select MsgBox msgtext & "Try Again." Resume in2' resume normal execution End Sub
The On Error statement used in Option 2 specifies a label to jump to if an error occurs. The code segment is part of the main subprocedure, and it uses the Err statement to determine which error code is returned. To make sure your code does not accidentally fall through to the error handler, precede it with an Exit statement. 44
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Examples of Trapping Runtime Errors
These examples show the two ways to set and trap user-defined errors. Both examples use the Error statement to set the user-defined error to the value 30000. Example 1 To trap the error, the following example places error-handling code directly before the line of code that could cause an error.
Sub Main Dim custname as String On Error Resume Next in1: Err = 0 custname = InputBox$("Enter customer name:") if custname = "" then Error 30000' generate error here Select Case Err' handle error here Case 30000 MsgBox "You must enter a customer name." Goto in1 Case Else MsgBox "Undetermined Error. Try Again." Goto in1 End Select End if MsgBox "The name is: " & custname End Sub
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Example 2 The following example contains a labeled section of code that handles any user-defined errors. You can also generate an error code in a subprocedure, and then have the main procedure handle it (similar to example 1 on page 45).
Sub Main Dim custname as String on Error Goto Errhandler in1: Err = 0 custname = InputBox$("Enter customer name:") If custname = "" then Error 30000' generate error here End If MsgBox "The name is: " &custname Exit Sub Errhandler: Select Case Err' handle error here Case 30000 MsgBox "You must enter a customer name." Case Else MsgBox "Undetermined Error. Try Again." End Select Resume in1 End Sub
Trappable Errors
The following table lists the runtime errors that Hummingbird Basic returns. These errors can be trapped by On Error. The Err function can be used to query the error code, and the Error function can be used to query the error text.
Error code 5 6 7 9 Error Text Illegal function call Overflow Out of memory Subscript out of range
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Error code 10 11 13 14 19
Error Text Duplicate definition Division by zero Type mismatch Out of string space No resume Resume without error Out of stack space Sub or Function not defined Error in loading DLL Bad file name or number File not found Bad file mode File already open File already exists Disk full Input past end of file Bad record number Bad file name Device unavailable Permission denied Disk not ready Can't rename with different drive Path/File access error Path not found Object variable set to Nothing
20 28 35 48 52
53 54 55 58 61 62 63 64 68 70 71 74 75 76 91
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Error code 93 94 102 429 438 439 440 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 910
Error Text Invalid pattern Illegal use of NULL Command failed Object creation failed No such property or method Argument type mismatch Object error Input buffer would be larger than 64K Operating system error External procedure not found Global variable type mismatch User-defined type mismatch External procedure interface mismatch Pushbutton required Module has no MAIN Dialog box not declared
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Chapter 3 Using Development Tools to Edit Scripts
About Hummingbird Basic Workbench The Workbench Interface Creating a Script File at a Glance Compiling and Running a Script File Running a Script File
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About Hummingbird Basic Workbench
Hummingbird Basic includes an easy-to-use development environment and a graphical dialog box editor. This chapter describes how to use a development tool to write, compile, and debug your scripts. The Hummingbird Basic Workbench is a special text editor you can use to write, edit, compile and debug your scripts. By default, Hummingbird Basic script files are stored in your home directory. The script source files have an .ebs file extension. A compiled script file has an .ebx file extension. The Hummingbird Basic Scripting Tool is similar to the Workbench, but only one file can be opened at a time. To start Hummingbird Basic, select it from the Windows Start menu.
The Workbench Interface
The Workbench is divided into the following areas:
Toolbar Code Window Variables Window
Output Window Status Bar
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Code Window
Statements and functions are typed into the Code window. To get help on a specific function or statement, click the right mouse button while the cursor is on the statement or function. Alternatively, highlight the statement or function in the Code window and press F1.
For more information about structuring your scripts, see "Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script" on page 18.
A Hummingbird Basic script must contain one main subprocedure. Functions referenced in your main subprocedure must be declared before the main subprocedure.
Variables Window
Select Variables on the Window menu to display the Variables window. This window displays the variables you declared in your script. A plus sign beside a heading in magenta text indicates there is an expandable list. Place the cursor next to a plus sign and double-click to see all the variables.
There are three main headings in the Variables window:
Globals--All global variables declared in any Hummingbird Basic module are shown under this heading. Name of your script--The name of the currently loaded script appears as the heading. Variables are listed by their scope in the script. The name of the Current Subprocedure--This heading lists all declared variables in the current subprocedure.
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Output Window
To open the Output window, either select Output window on the Window menu or click the Output toolbar button. The Output window provides information about your script after it has been compiled. This window indicates whether the script has been successfully compiled or not. If errors were detected, then they are displayed by an Error Message. Clicking the Next or Previous toolbar button highlights each error in the script.
Status Bar
The status bar indicates the mode in which you are currently working. There are three modes: Edit, Debug and Run. In Edit mode, you can write and compile your script. In Debug mode, you can check for syntax errors and create breakpoints. To revert to Edit mode when you are in Debug mode, click Stop on the toolbar. In Run mode the compiled script is executing. To stop running the script and revert to Edit mode, click Pause. The status bar also lists the number of errors in your script after it has finished compiling.
Call Stack Control
The Call Stack control is visible only while you are in Debug mode. This control indicates which subprocedure the script is executing. This is useful when you are debugging your script for errors. The Call Stack control can also be used to jump to a subprocedure in an open module by selecting one from the drop-down list box.
Creating a Script File at a Glance
You can use Hummingbird Basic scripts for many tasks. These examples describe situations where Hummingbird Basic scripts are beneficial:
Repetitive tasks--Downloading a file from a remote host to a directory on your PC while you are doing something else. Create a simpler interface--Connecting to a host by specifying your login information, selecting the appropriate settings file, and then running a frequently used program in the background while you are doing something else.
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Exchange information between applications--Create a Hummingbird Basic script with OLE automation to transfer data from a Telnet session to an Excel spreadsheet.
The process of creating script files is as simple or as complex as the series of tasks you want to automate. Creating a script can be broken down into these steps: 1 2 Identify the task you want to automate and divide it into a sequence of actions. Translate the sequence of actions into Hummingbird Basic commands, and then type them into the Hummingbird Basic Workbench. a) Write your script file. b) Save your script file. c) Compile your script file. d) Run and test your script file. e) Debug your script file if there are problems. 3 Install a program item icon for your script file.
The following sections describe a simplified process for developing scripts. To translate the task into a Hummingbird Basic script:
Refer to "Structure of a Hummingbird Basic Script" on page 18 for more information on the order of the functions and statements. For more information on writing Error-Handling routines, see "Error-Handling and Debugging" on page 40.
1 2 3
Plan your script by writing down an outline of tasks and end results that you want to accomplish with a script. Find the Hummingbird Basic functions and statements you need in the Hummingbird Basic Language Reference Help. Include Error Handling routines that deal with runtime errors, and any other anticipated user actions in your script.
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Compiling and Running a Script File
Before you compile your script, open the Output window. Any error messages that occur in the script appear after the script has finished compiling. To compile your script, either click Check on the toolbar or click Compile on the File menu. Errors detected in the compiled script appear in red text. To view the errors sequentially through the script, click Next Error and Previous Error on the Edit menu.
Running a Script File
You can run the script only if it has been successfully compiled.
Note: The phrase "successfully compiled" indicates that the script is free of syntax errors. There may be other types of errors in your script, such as runtime or logic errors. Executing the script allows you to test for these other types of errors.
To execute a successfully compiled script file, either click Run on the File menu or click Execute on the toolbar.
Running a Script in Animated Mode
When a script is run in Animated mode, each line of code is highlighted in the Code window as it is executed. This mode is useful for examining loops and other control statements in your script. To run your script in Animated mode, either click Animate on the toolbar or click Animate on the Debug menu.
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The following toolbar buttons are available to help you compile and run your script file:
Toolbar Button Explanation Opens the output window. Output Window Compiles your script. All errors will be listed in an open Output window. Check Script Runs a successfully compiled script. Execute Script Runs a successfully compiled script in animated mode. Run Script in Animated Mode
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About Dialog Editor Dialog Editor Interface Adding Controls to a Dialog Box Aligning Controls in the Dialog Box Setting Control Properties Dialog Box Properties Button Control Properties OptionButton Control Properties Text Control Properties TextBox (Edit) Control Properties CheckBox Control Properties ListBox Control Properties StaticComboBox Control Properties DropComboBox Control Properties DropListBox Control Properties GroupBox Control Properties Picture Control Properties Integrating a Dialog Box into Your Script Defining the Dialog Box Displaying the Dialog Box Dialog Statements and Functions Writing a Dialog Function Putting It All Together
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About Dialog Editor
Hummingbird Basic provides both functions and statements, and a graphical Dialog Editor to create dialog boxes. You can run Dialog Editor from either the Workbench's Edit menu or click the Dialog toolbar button. Dialog Editor lets you create and design dialog boxes by dragging and dropping controls on to a form. As you drop the controls, code is automatically generated and can be dynamically updated into your script as you design the dialog box. When you first run Dialog Editor, it provides you with a standard-sized dialog box that contains an OK button and a Cancel button. To add a new control, select one on the Control menu, or click the equivalent button on the Control Palette and drag it onto the dialog box window.
Dialog Editor Interface
Dialog Editor is divided into the following areas:
Toolbar Dialog Box
Dialog Code Window
Control Palette Status Bar
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Toolbar
The toolbar contains the most frequently used commands from the dropdown menus. To get a short description of the toolbar button, place the mouse pointer over top of a button and wait a few seconds for the ToolTip to appear.
Dialog Box
This is the area where you create the dialog box. The dialog box you create will appear in your running script exactly as it appears in the Dialog Box window. By default, when the Editor is first opened there is an OK button and a Cancel button.
Dialog Code Window
This window lets you view and edit the code for the dialog box that you are creating. Click Update to integrate the generated code into your open module.
Note: The Dialog Code window must be closed in order to add or alter controls in the dialog box.
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Control Palette
The Control Palette contains all of the controls that can be added to a dialog box. The following table explains what each control is and how to use it.
Control Palette Button Explanation The PushButton control is used to create standard command buttons in the dialog box. PushButton Control The OptionButton is used to present a set of choices. Each option button belongs to a particular OptionGroup, which is configurable from the OptionButton Group drop-down combo box in the OptionButton Properties dialog box. The Text control is used to label other controls that do not have a visible label. To use them as a navigation aid, place them immediately before the control they are labeling in the Tab Order. The TextBox control accepts text input from a user. A TextBox control is customized (size, position, and so on), by double-clicking it and making the appropriate settings in the TextBox Properties dialog box. The CheckBox control is used to present the user with a two state switch. The switch can be On/Off, Yes/No, Enable/Disable, and so forth. The ListBox control is used to present users with a choice from a list of strings. ListBox Control The DropComboBox control is similar to the DropListBox Control, except that users may type in a new string in addition to selecting one from the list of strings.
OptionButton Control
Text Control
TextBox (Edit) Control
CheckBox Control
DropComboBox Control
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Control Palette Button
Explanation The GroupBox control visually groups controls in a dialog box. In addition, they can be used to provide a navigational hierarchy to the dialog box user. The DropListBox control differs from the ListBox control in appearance only. If a string from the control is selected, it appears in the control. When the user clicks the down arrow, the control expands to present the list of strings. The Picture control is used to place bitmaps into the dialog box. Picture controls get their contents from either the clipboard or a Windows bitmap (.bmp) file.
GroupBox Control
DropListBox Control
Picture Control
Adding Controls to a Dialog Box
Different controls gather specific types of information from the user. An effectively designed interface also helps the user to enter the correct data and to navigate through your program. There are two ways to add new controls to your dialog box:
Select a control either on the Control Palette or on the Control menu then drag out a rectangle in the dialog box. The control of the selected type is created and sized to that rectangle. Use the drag-and-drop method to place a control of a default size into your dialog box.
To use the drag-and-drop method: 1 2 On the Control Palette, click the control you want to add. Press and hold the mouse button, then move the mouse into the dialog box window. A rectangle appear indicating the placement of the control you want to create. You can move the rectangle with the mouse.
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3
Release the mouse button to place the control.
Note: To abort creating the control, move the outside mouse of the dialog box window, and release the button.
Aligning Controls in the Dialog Box
There are a number of commands from the Layout menu that can help you align and lay out controls on the dialog box. To align the controls, select one by clicking it with the mouse. To select multiple controls, drag a rectangle across all of the controls you want selected. Selected controls have a dotted black outline. When the controls are selected, choose a command from the Layout menu. The following commands are available from this menu:
Align Controls--Allows you to move selected controls left, right, top, bottom, vertically, or horizontally. Space Evenly--Allows you to space selected controls evenly, down, or across. Center in Dialog--Allows you to center the selected dialog either vertically or horizontally in the dialog box. Arrange Buttons--Allows you to arrange the selected button control to the right or the bottom of the dialog box. Make Same Size--Causes selected controls to size exactly the same. Size to Content--Causes a control that accepts user input to size itself according to its content.
You may find it useful to turn the grid on before you begin aligning the controls. The grid is enabled by clicking the Grid toolbar button. To change the incremental units of the grid, select Options on the Edit menu. Enabling the Snap To Grid check box in the Option dialog box aligns the controls to the nearest grid unit.
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Setting the Tab Order
When the tab order is set, press the tab key to shift the focus from control to control. Setting the tab order allows you to specify the order of control focus when the tab key is pressed. To set the tab order: 1 2 On the Layout menu, click Set Tab Order. Small numbers will appear on the left corner of each control. Click each control in the order you want the focus to shift when the user tabs through the dialog box. As you click, a new number appears on each control.
Note: One of the controls in the dialog window will be the primary control. It is identified by the darker black outline when selected. The primary control is always the first in the tab order. All controls will be set relative to the primary control.
Setting Control Properties
Once the controls are placed and aligned on the dialog box, you can begin setting specific properties for each of the controls added. Control properties are settings that affect the attributes and the behavior of the control. Examples of control properties include position and size, and whether or not an expression is attached to the control. Also, most of the controls have a Control ID. The Control ID is an identifier that you use to reference and access the control from a function in your Hummingbird Basic script. To display the properties for a control:
Double-click the control for which you would like to edit the properties. If a single control is selected, press the Enter key. To access Dialog Properties, double-click an empty area of the dialog box.
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Dialog Box Properties
The following properties can be set for a dialog box: Dialog ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. Caption Type & Caption These fields allow you to enter a title for the dialog box. There are three caption types to choose from:
None--If the caption type is set to None, then the application's default caption is used, and the Caption field is disabled. String--Select this type to enter a title for the dialog box into the Caption field. Expression--Select this type to enter a Hummingbird Expression into the Caption field.
Macro Function Name Enter the name of the function you are using to update fields with. The function name is appended to the Begin Dialog statement. This field is only used in dynamic dialog boxes. ButtonGroup ID To reference a group of related buttons through the dialog box, enter a name for the group of buttons. Size and Position A dialog box is positioned relative to the upper left corner of the application. By default, dialog boxes are centered on the application.
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the dialog box, enable the Edit dialog position box and type the desired values in the X and Y fields. Type either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions into the X and Y fields. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the dialog box accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control or dialog box is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog box. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the dialog box accordingly.
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Button Control Properties
Button controls are the command buttons that you put on to your dialog box. The following properties can be set for a button control: Button Type There are three different kinds of push buttons you can add to a dialog box:
OK--This is like a normal button, except its label cannot be modified. There can be only one OK Button in a dialog box. Cancel--This is like a normal button, except its label cannot be modified. There can be only one Cancel Button in a dialog box. Normal--If the button is not an OK or a Cancel button, then use this type. This button allows you to assign a label and an ID.
Button Label This property inserts text on to the button. If you selected either an OK button or a Cancel button, then its label cannot be changed. If you want to assign a shortcut key for the selected control, type an ampersand (&) before the letter you want to use as a shortcut key. For example, if you type the label for a help button as H&elp, users will be able to access help by pressing Alt+E. Button ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, you should assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. Use label as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression as the label, then enable this check box. The label will then be calculated or interpreted when the script is executed. Size and Position A dialog box is positioned relative to the upper-left corner of the application. By default, dialog boxes are centered on the application. Controls are positioned relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. Type either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions into the X and Y fields. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box.
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Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
OptionButton Control Properties
Option button controls allow a user to enable or disable a function. Option buttons have the following property settings: OptionButton label This property inserts text beside the button. If you want to assign a shortcut key for the selected control, type an ampersand (&) before the letter you want to use as a shortcut key. For example, if you type the label for a help button as H&elp, users will be able to access help by pressing Alt+E. OptionButton ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. OptionButton group This option allows you to enter a single string for a group of related option buttons. When referring to the group in your function, you can then use this string. Use label as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression as the label, then enable this check box. The label will then be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position A dialog box is positioned relative to the upper-left corner of the application. By default, dialog boxes are centered on the application. Controls are positioned relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. You can type either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions into these fields. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly. 67
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Text Control Properties
Use text controls to label another control that typically does not have a label. The following properties are available for Text Controls: Text Label This property inserts a label for a control. If you want to assign a shortcut key for the selected control, type an ampersand (&) before the letter you want to use as a shortcut key. For example, if you type the label for a help button as &Help, users will be able to access help by pressing Alt+H. Text ID The ID is a string you can assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. Use label as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression as the label, then enable this check box. The label will then be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic places controls relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
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TextBox (Edit) Control Properties
The following properties can be set for TextBox controls: TextBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. Password\no Echo When this option is enabled, any text the user types into the text field is echoed back as asterisks. This feature is used if the textbox control will accept passwords as input. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
CheckBox Control Properties
Check boxes provide the user with the ability to enable or disable a function in the program. The following properties can be set for a CheckBox control: CheckBox Label This property inserts a label for a control. If you want to assign a shortcut key for the selected control, type an ampersand (&) before the letter you want to use as a shortcut key. For example, if you type the label for a help button as H&elp, users will be able to access help by pressing Alt+H. CheckBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention.
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Use label as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression as the label, then enable this check box. The label will then be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the dialog box is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
ListBox Control Properties
A ListBox provides a list of strings from which to choose. You can also add new strings at runtime. The following properties are available for a ListBox control: ListBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. ListBox Contents This field allows you to enter the strings that will form the contents of the ListBox. Use content as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression to the contents of the ListBox, enable this check box. The contents of the ListBox will be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric
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value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box.
Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog box or control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
StaticComboBox Control Properties
A StaticComboBox is a text box with an attached list box. When the user selects a value from the list box, it is placed in the text box. The following properties can be set for a StaticComboBox control: StaticComboBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. StaticComboBox Contents This field allows you to enter the strings which will make up the contents of the StaticComboBox. A user can then select one of the strings from the box. Use content as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression to the contents of the StaticComboBox, enable this check box. The contents of the StaticComboBox will be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
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DropComboBox Control Properties
A DropComboBox is a text box with an attached list box. The list box remains hidden until the user selects the arrow beside the text box to drop down the list box. When the user selects a value from the list box, it is placed in the text box.The following properties can be set for a DropComboBox control: DropComboBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. DropComboBox Contents This field allows you to enter the strings which will make up the contents of the DropComboBox. A user can then select one of the strings from the box. Use content as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression to the contents of the DropComboBox, enable this check box. The contents of the DropComboBox is interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the dialog box, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog box or control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
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DropListBox Control Properties
A DropListBox is a list box that remains closed, showing only one value, until the user selects the arrow on the right-hand side to expand it. The following properties can be set for a DropListBox control: DropListBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. DropListBox Contents This field allows you to enter the strings which will make up the contents of the DropListBox. A user can then select one of the strings from the box. Use content as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression to the contents of the DropListBox, then enable this check box. The contents of the DropListBox will be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog box or control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
GroupBox Control Properties
GroupBox controls are used as a design feature to group a series of related controls together. The following properties can be set for a GroupBox control: GroupBox Label This is the title of the group box. The title you type here, appears on the dialog box.
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GroupBox ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the GroupBox control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. Use label as a macro input expression If you want to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression as the label, then enable this check box. The label will then be interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic places controls relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog box or control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
Picture Control Properties
Pictures are graphics that are used in dialog boxes and windows. The following properties can be set for picture controls: Picture source This property indicates the source of the bitmap to be displayed: Clipboard or File. Picture file name dialog box. Type the name of the bitmap file to display in your
Picture ID The ID is a string you assign to identify the GroupBox control in your Hummingbird Basic script file. For easy recognition, assign IDs using a consistent naming convention. Suppress Message Enabling this check box causes the picture control not to display the "missing picture" warning if the picture for the dialog box cannot be located.
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Use file name as a macro expression If you selected File as the picture source, enable this check box to assign a Hummingbird Basic expression corresponding to the file name. The file name is interpreted when you execute the script containing this dialog box. Size and Position Hummingbird Basic positions controls relative to the upper-left corner of the dialog box:
X and Y Position--To specify the position of the control, type the desired values in the X and Y fields. These values can be either numeric values or Hummingbird Basic expressions. If you type a new numeric value in either of these fields, Dialog Editor moves the control accordingly. If you type an expression (non-numeric value), the position of the control is interpreted when you execute the script file containing this dialog box. Width and Height--These fields allow you to change the size of the dialog box or control. Enter a value in pixels in the Width and Height fields. Dialog Editor sizes the control accordingly.
Integrating a Dialog Box into Your Script
A dialog box must be defined and declared before you can refer to it in your script. Dialog boxes are defined using the Begin Dialog...End Dialog statements. To integrate a dialog box into your script follow these steps: 1 2 3 Define the dialog box with the Begin Dialog...End Dialog statements and dialog box definition statements such as TextBox, OkButton. Create a dynamic dialog function to handle dialog box interactions. Display the dialog box using the Dialog Function.
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Defining the Dialog Box
The Begin Dialog...End Dialog statement defines a dialog box. The last parameter to the Begin Dialog statement is the name of a function, prefixed by a period. This function handles interaction between the dialog box and the user. After defining your dialog box, you must declare a variable of this data type. In the following example, the variable named td refers to the dialog box named testdlg.
Begin Dialog testdlg 286, 245, "Interactive Dialog", .interact <statements that define the controls on your dialog box> End Dialog Dim td as testdlg
For more information, see "Writing a Dialog Function" on page 79.
If you are writing a function to accept user input and to define what occurs in the dialog box, then enter the function at the end of the Begin Dialog statement. In the above example this is a function called interact. If you use Dialog Editor, the Begin Dialog.... End Dialog statement is inserted into your code. You must add the function parameter to the Begin Dialog statement and the variable information after the End Dialog statement.
Displaying the Dialog Box
To display the dialog box, you can use the Dialog function. In a Dialog function, the argument to display a dialog box is the variable name that you previously declared. From the example above, this would be td.
Dialog Statements and Functions
The dialog function and the dialog statement differ slightly in their use:
The Dialog Function--This function both displays a dialog box and returns a number when the user presses any of the command buttons. The Dialog Statement--This statement displays a dialog box.
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In most cases, use the Dialog Function. If you use a Dialog statement to display the dialog box, then you have to write an error-handling routine at the end of your main subprocedure using the On Error statement. Dynamic dialog box functions and statements can be used only while a dialog box is displayed on the screen and is calling a dialog control function. These functions and statements are used to get or set information about a particular control in a dialog box. The functions and statements in this category are:
Function DlgControl Function DlgEnable Function Explanation Returns the numeric ID of a control. Returns True (-1) if the specified control is enabled, or 0 (False) if it is not. Enables or disables a control. Returns the ID of the control having input focus. Sets focus to a control. Returns the contents of a list box or combo box. Sets the contents of a list box or combo box. Returns the text value for a control. Sets the text for a control. Returns the value of a control. Set the value of a control. Returns True (-1) if the specified control is visible, or False (0) if it is not. Makes a control visible or invisible.
DlgEnable Statement DlgFocus Function DlgFocus Statement DlgListBoxArray Function DlgListBoxArray Statement DlgText Function DlgText Statement DlgValue Function DlgValue Statement DlgVisible Function
DlgVisible Statement
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Most of these functions and statements take the Control ID as the first argument. For example, consider the following check box definition:
CheckBox 20, 30, 50, 15 "My checkbox", .check1
Use the following command to disable the check box:
DlgEnable "check1", 0
The following function returns -1 if the check box is selected, or 0 if it is not:
DlgValue ("check1")
Control IDs are case-sensitive. In dynamic dialog box functions and statements, control IDs are in quotation marks and do not include the period that is required in control definitions (between Begin Dialog ...End Dialog statements). Dynamic dialog functions and statements can also work with numeric IDs, which are automatically assigned in the order in which dialog controls are defined. For example, if a check box is the first control defined in the dialog record, DlgValue (0) is equivalent to DlgValue ("Check1"). Control numbering begins at 0. Labels are not numbered. The example below creates a dialog box with a drop-down combo box within it, and the three buttons: OK, Cancel, and Help. The Dialog Function used here enables the subprocedure to trap when the user clicks any of these buttons.
Sub Main Dim cchoices as String cchoices = "All" + Chr$(9) + "Nothing" Begin Dialog UserDialog 180, 95, "Hummingbird Dialog Box" Text 9, 3, 69, 13, "File name:", .Text1 ButtonGroup .ButtonGroup1 ComboBox 9, 17, 111, 41, cchoices, .ComboBox1 OKButton 131, 8, 42, 13 CancelButton 131, 27, 42, 13 PushButton 132, 48, 42, 13, "Help", .Push1 End Dialog Dim mydialogbox As UserDialog answer = Dialog(mydialogbox) Select Case answer
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Case -1 MsgBox "You pressed OK" Case 0 MsgBox "You pressed Cancel" Case 1 MsgBox "You pressed Help" End Select End Sub
Writing a Dialog Function
A function defines the behavior of the dialog box. For example, your function could disable a check box based on the user's action. The body of the function uses the Hummingbird Basic statements and functions prefixed with Dlg to define dialog box actions. To define the function itself, use the Function...End Function statement, or declare it using the Declare statement before using the Begin Dialog statement. The name of the function is entered in dot notation at the end of the Begin Dialog statement. In the example below, interact is appended to the end of the Begin Dialog statement. Interact is a function that determines what occurs when a user presses a button on the dialog box.
Begin Dialog testdlg 286, 245, "Interactive Dialog", .interact <statements that define the controls on your dialog box> End Dialog Dim td as testdlg
The function receives the following three parameters from the Begin Dialog statement:
The Identifier parameter--The first argument, id$, identifies the control associated with the call to the Dialog Function. It is the same value which appeared in the definition of the control. This is the control ID string that identifies each of the buttons and fields in your dialog box.
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The Action parameter--Action% is an integer between 1 and 5 identifying the reason why the Dialog Function is called. The Suppval parameter--This parameter supplies additional information to the dialog box function, suppval& gives more specific information than the action argument.
The Dialog Function does not return until the dialog box is closed. To leave the dialog box open after the user clicks a command button (such as the OK button), return a non-zero suppval. The following table explains the meaning of each value that action% can contain:
Value 1 Meaning Corresponds to dialog box initialization. This value is passed before the dialog box becomes visible. Corresponds to choosing a command button or changing the value of a dialog box control (except for typing in a text box or combo box). Corresponds to a change in a text box or combo box. This value is passed when the control loses the input focus (the user presses the Tab key or clicks another control). Corresponds to a change of control focus. Id$ is the ID of the control gaining focus, and suppvalue& contains the numeric ID of the control losing focus. A Dialog Function cannot display a message box or dialog box in response to an action value 4. Corresponds to an idle state. When the dialog box is initialized (action 1 is passed), the Dialog Function will be continuously called with action 5, if no other action occurs. If the dialog function wants to receive this message continuously, while the dialog box is idle, it should return a nonzero value. If 0 (zero) is returned, action 5 will be passed only while the user is moving the mouse. For this action, Id$ is equal to empty string ("") and suppvalue& is equal to the number of times action 5 was passed before.
2
3
4
5
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When action% is 2 or 3, suppval& depends on the type of the control. The following table summarizes the possible values for suppval:
Control List box Check box Option button Text box Combo box Suppval Number of the item selected, 0-based. 1 if selected, 0 if cleared, -1 if filled with gray. Number of the option button in the option group, 0-based. Number of characters in the text box. The number of the item selected (0-based) for action 2, the number of characters in its text box for action 3. 1 2 An internal button ID. This is not the same as the numeric ID of the button control.
OK Button Cancel Button Push button
In most cases, the return value of the Dialog Function is ignored. The exceptions are the return values from action% 5 (as discussed above), and from action% 2. If action% 2 is called because the user clicked the OK button, Cancel button, or a command button (as indicated by id$), and the Dialog Function returns a non-zero value, the dialog box will not be closed. To close the dialog box when a user clicks a button, return a 0 to the function. You can use the information these parameters provide to change the behavior of the dialog. For example:
Function interact%(Id as String, Action as Integer, Suppval as Long Integer) If Id = "bcancel" and action = 2 Then interact = 0 End If End Function
This example shows that if the user presses the Cancel button, the dialog box closes. Id = bcancel (the button ID for cancel), Action = 2 indicates that the user has chosen a command button. If this occurs, interact = 0, which causes the dialog box to close. If the function returned 1, for example interact = 1, then the dialog box would stay open. 81
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Putting It All Together
The following script shows a dialog box with a text field, a check box, and a hide/show picture button. When you enter text into the text field, it becomes the title for the group box. Clicking the check box enables or disables the Bell button. When you click the Hide button, the picture is pasted to the Windows clipboard. Note the position and order of the dynamic dialog box functions. Comments are preceded by an apostrophe (') and are ignored by the compiler.
option explicit' force declarations dim pict$' name of the picture file dim evalue' last error value dim eline' last error line const errorReturn = -2' use -2, as -1 = OK, 0 = Cancel and positive ' numbers are used by other buttons function interact%(id$, action%, suppval&) ' start of dialog function dim s$' scratch string dim i?' scratch portint on error goto ehandler' error handling select case action' switch on the action type case 1' dialog box initialization dlgValue "cb1", 1' set the checkBox 'ON' dlgFocus "tb1"' force focus to text field exit function' exit case 2' control changes, allow case 3' text field changes, allow case 4' change of focus interact = 1' make sure event continues exit function' exit end select interact = 1' default = Don't terminate select case id' switch on the control case "tb1"' text field msgbox "Sample Text Field was changed", 64, "Change Of Focus"
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case "hide"' hide control if dlgVisible("pict") = 0 then' check the state dlgVisible "pict", 1' make picture visible dlgVisible "bird", 1' make the option visible dlgVisible "clipboard", 1' make the option visible dlgtext "pg", "Picture"' make the text visible dlgtext "hide", "Hide &Picture"' change button text else dlgVisible "pict", 0' hide the picture dlgVisible "bird", 0' hide the option dlgVisible "clipboard", 0' hide the option dlgtext "pg", ""' set the text to Null dlgtext "hide", "Show &Picture"' change button text end if case "bird"' switch to bird picture DlgSetPicture "pict", pict, 0 case "clipboard"' switch to clipboard DlgSetPicture "pict", "", 3 case "bbell"' sound the bell beep case "cb1"' CheckBox dlgEnable "bbell", suppval' enable/disable bell case "copy"' update group text dlgText "g1", DlgText("tb1") case "bok", "bcancel" interact = 0' terminate case "berror" s = "abc" i = cint(s)' invalid conversion end select exit function ehandler:' error handler label evalue = err' save the error eline = erl' save the error line resume postError
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postError: dlgend errorReturn' exit as error end function Sub Main' start of Main subprocedure dim i?' variable to hold result of dialog box pict = homeDir' get bird picture if right$(pict, 1) <> "\" then pict = pict + "\" pict = pict + "BIRDY3.BMP" Begin Dialog testdlg 286, 245, "Interactive Dialog", .interact OKButton 144, 221, 40, 14, .bok CancelButton 237, 221, 40, 14, .bcancel GroupBox 7, 11, 133, 107, "Group", .g1 Text 13, 24, 62, 8, "Sample Text Field:" TextBox 13, 40, 120, 13, .tb1 CheckBox 13, 66, 35, 10, "Bell On", .cb1 Button 64, 64, 60, 14, "&Bell", .bbell Button 13, 92, 120, 14, "&Sample Text Field To Group Name", .copy GroupBox 144, 11, 133, 107, "Picture", .pg Picture 173, 25, 75, 51, pict, 0, .pict OptionGroup .optval OptionButton 171, 80, 24, 10, "Bird", .bird OptionButton 203, 80, 42, 10, "Clipboard", .clipboard Button 171, 97, 80, 14, "Hide &Picture", .hide Button 190, 221, 40, 14, "&Error", .berror End Dialog dim td as testdlg' dialog box testdlg declared as variable do' loop handles when clicking Cancel or OK select case dialog(td) case -1 if msgbox("Dialog terminated by OK. Restart?", 36, "TestDlg") = 7 then exit do case 0 if msgbox("Dialog terminated by Cancel. Restart?", 36, "TestDlg") = 7 then exit do case errorReturn if msgbox(error$(evalue) + "on line" + cstr(eline) + ". Restart?", 36, "TestDlg") = 7 then exit do case else
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if msgbox("Dialog terminated by a button other than OK or Cancel. Restart?", 36, "TestDlg") = 7 then exit do end select loop' end of loop End Sub
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Hummingbird Basic Statements and Functions Arrays Compiler Directives Control Flow Dates and Times Declarations Defining Dialog Boxes Running Dialog Boxes Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) Environment Control Error-Handling Functions Disk and Directory Control File Control File Input/Output Financial Functions Numeric Functions Trigonometric Functions Objects Screen Input/Output String Functions String Conversions Variants Calling External Functions in a .dll Sample Script: Calling External Functions in a .dll Using Dynamic Data Exchange DDE Sample Script 89 89 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 95 96 96 97 97 99 99 100 100 101 101 103 103 104 104 105 106
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This chapter provides a quick reference to the statements and functions available in Hummingbird Basic. The functions and statements are separated into categories by type. Each function and statement is accompanied by a short description. For information about the specific syntax and usage of a statement or function, see HostExplorer Programming Help.
Hummingbird Basic Statements and Functions
Arrays
Function Erase LBound ReDim UBound Description Re-initialize contents of an array. Return the lower bound of an array's dimension. Declare dynamic arrays and reallocate memory. Return the upper bound of an array's dimension.
Compiler Directives
Function $CStrings Description Treat the backslash in character string as an escape character, such as in 'C'. Tell the compiler to include statements from another file. Tell the compiler to treat a backslash as a normal character. Continue a long statement across multiple lines. Treat the remainder of the line as a comment.
$Include $NoCStrings
Line Continuation Rem
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Control Flow
Function Call Do...Loop Exit For...Next Goto If ... Then ... Else Let Lset Description Transfer control to a subprogram. Control repetitive actions. Cause the current procedure or loop structure to return. Loop a fixed number of times. Send control to a line label. Branch on a conditional value. Assign a value to a variable. Left-align one string or a user-defined variable within another. Branch to one of several labels, depending upon value. Right-align one string within another. Execute one of a series of statement blocks. Set an object variable to a value. Stop program execution. Control repetitive actions. Execute a series of statements on a specified variable.
On...Goto Rset Select Case Set Stop While ... Wend With
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Dates and Times
Function Date Function Date Statement DateSerial DateValue Day Hour IsDate Minute Month Now Second Time Function Time Statement Timer TimeSerial Description Return the current date. Set the system date. Return the date value for year, month, and day specified. Return the date value for string specified. Return the day of month in a date-time value. Return the hour of day in a date-time value. Determine whether a value is a legal date. Return the minutes in a date-time value. Return the month in a date-time value. Return the current date and time. Return the seconds in a date-time value. Return the current time. Set the current time. Return the number of seconds since midnight. Return the time value for the hour, minute, and second specified. Return the time value for the string specified. Return the day of the week for the specified date-time value. Return the year in a date-time value.
TimeValue Weekday
Year
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Declarations
Function Const Declare Description Declare a symbolic constant. Forward declare a procedure in the same module or in a dynamic link library. Declare the default data type for variables. Declare variables. Define a function. Declare a global variable. Declare the default lower bound for array dimensions. Declare the default case-sensitivity for string comparisons. Force all variables to be explicitly declared. Declare dynamic arrays and reallocate memory. Define a static variable or subprogram. Define a subprogram. Declare a user-defined data type.
Deftype Dim Function ... End Function Global Option Base Option Compare
Option Explicit ReDim Static Sub ... End Sub Type
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Defining Dialog Boxes
Function Begin Dialog Button ButtonGroup Description Begin a dialog box definition. Define a button dialog box control. Begin the definition of a group of button dialog box controls. Define a Cancel button dialog box control. Define the title of a dialog box. Define a check box dialog box control. Define a combo box dialog box control. Define a drop-down combo box dialog box control. Define a drop-down list box dialog box control. Define a group box in a dialog box. Define a list box dialog box control. Define an OK button dialog box control. Define an option button dialog box control. Begin definition of a group of option button dialog box controls. Define a picture control. Define a push-button dialog box control. Define a static combo box dialog box control. Define a line of text in a dialog box. Define a text box in a dialog box.
CancelButton Caption CheckBox ComboBox DropComboBox DropListBox GroupBox ListBox OKButton OptionButton OptionGroup
Picture PushButton StaticComboBox Text TextBox
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Running Dialog Boxes
Function Dialog Function Dialog Statement DlgControlId DlgEnable Function DlgEnable Statement DlgEnd DlgFocus Function DlgFocus Statement DlgListBoxArray Function DlgListBoxArray Statement DlgSetPicture DlgText function DlgText Statement DlgValue Function DlgValue Statement DlgVisible Function DlgVisible Statement Description Display a dialog box, and return the button pressed. Display a dialog box. Return the numeric ID of a dialog control. Return whether a dialog control is enabled or disabled. Enable or disable a dialog control. Close the active dialog box. Return the ID of the dialog control having input focus. Set focus to a dialog control. Return the contents of a list box or combo box. Set the contents of a list box or combo box. Change the picture in the picture control. Return the text associated with a dialog control. Set the text associated with a dialog control. Return the value associated with a dialog control. Set the value associated with a dialog control. Return whether a control is visible or hidden. Show or hide a dialog control.
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Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
Function DDEAppReturnCode DDEExecute DDEInitiate DDEPoke DDERequest DDETerminate Description Return a code from an application on a DDE channel. Send commands to an application on a DDE channel. Open a dynamic data exchange DDE channel. Send data to an application on a DDE channel. Retrun data from an application on a DDE channel. Close a DDE channel.
Environment Control
Function AppActivate Command Description Activate another application. Return the command line specified when the MAIN sub was run. Set the current date. Let the operating system process messages. Return a string from the operating system's environment. Initialize the random-number generator. Send keystrokes to another application. Run an executable program.
Date Statement DoEvents Environ Randomize SendKeys Shell
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Error-Handling Functions
Function Assert Erl Err Function Err Statement Error Error Function On Error Resume Description Trigger an error if a condition is false. Return the line number where a runtime error occurred. Return a runtime error code. Set the runtime error code. Generate an error condition. Return a string representing an error. Control runtime error-handling. End an error-handling procedure.
Disk and Directory Control
Function ChDir ChDrive CurDir Dir MkDir RmDir Description Change the default directory for a drive. Change the default drive. Return the current directory for a drive. Return a file name that matches a pattern. Make a directory on a disk. Remove a directory from a disk.
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File Control
Function FileAttr FileCopy FileDateTime FileLen GetAttr Description Return information about an open file. Copy a file. Return the modification date and time of a specified file. Return the length of a specified file in bytes. Return the attributes of specified file, directory, or volume label. Delete files from a disk. Rename a disk file. Set attribute information for a file.
Kill Name SetAttr
File Input/Output
Function Close Eof FreeFile Get Input Statement Line Input Loc Lock Description Close a file. Check for end of file. Return the next unused file number. Read bytes from a file. Read data from a file or from the keyboard. Read a line from a sequential file. Return the current position of an open file. Control access to some or all of an open file by other processes. Return the length of an open file. Open a disk file or device for I/O. Print data to a file or to the screen.
Lof Open Print
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Function Put Reset Seek Function Seek Statement Spc Tab Unlock
Description Write data to an open file. Close all open disk files. Return the current position for a file. Set the current position for a file. Send the given number of spaces for output. Move the print position to the given column. Control access to some or all of an open file by other processes. Set the output-line width for an open file. Write data to a sequential file.
Width Write
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Financial Functions
Function FV IPmt IRR NPV Pmt PPmt PV Rate Description Return the future value of a cash flow stream. Return the interest payment for a given period. Return the internal rate of return for a cash flow stream. Return a constant payment per period for an annuity. Return a constant payment per period for an annuity. Return the principal payment for a given period. Return the present value of a future stream of cash flows. Return the interest rate per period.
Numeric Functions
Function Abs Exp Int Fix IsNumeric Log Rnd Sgn Sqr Description Return the absolute value of a number. Return the value of e raised to a power. Return the integer part of a number. Return the integer part of a number. Determine whether a value is a legal number. Return the natural logarithm of a value. Return a random number. Return a value indicating the sign of a number. Return the square root of a number.
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Trigonometric Functions
Function Atn Cos Sin Tan Description Return the arc tangent of a number. Return the cosine of an angle. Return the sine of an angle. Return the tangent of an angle.
Objects
Function Class List Clipboard CreateObject GetObject Description List of available classes. Access the Windows Clipboard. Create an OLE automation object. Retrieve an OLE object from a file, or get the active OLE object for an OLE class. Determine whether two object variables refer to the same object. Get the current object. Allocate and initialize a new OLE object. Set an object variable to not refer to an object. Declare an OLE automation object. Check the class of an object. Execute statements on an object or a user-defined type.
Is
Me New Nothing Object Typeof With
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Screen Input/Output
Function Beep Input Function Input InputBox MsgBox Function MsgBox Statement PasswordBox Description Produce a short beeping tone through the speaker. Return a string of characters from a file. Read data from a file or from the keyboard. Display a dialog box that prompts for input. Display a Windows message box. Display a Windows message box. Display a dialog box that prompts for input. Don't echo input. Print data to a file or to the screen.
Print
String Functions
Function GetField Hex Description Return a substring from a delimited source string. Return the hexadecimal representation of a number as a string. Return the position of one string within another. Convert a string to lower case. Return the left portion of a string. Return the length of a string or size of a variable. Compare a string against a pattern. Remove leading spaces from a string. Return a portion of a string. Replace a portion of a string with another string. Return the octal representation of a number as a string.
InStr LCase Left Len Like Operator LTrim Mid Function Mid Statement Oct
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Function ...