Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Discussions about the BBC BASIC language, with particular reference to BB4W and BBCSDL
hinckleyj
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat 02 Jun 2018, 08:02

Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by hinckleyj »

Hi everyone,

I am trying to call a Procedure by storing its name in a Variable, and just cannot get it to work.

I have several Procedures defined.

PROC_A
PROC_B
PROC_C etc...

The selection (_A, _B, _C etc) is stored in a variable, lets say A$

What I would like to do is call the relevant Procedure with something like,
PROC(A$)
So that the correct one is called depending upon the selection made, and what is therefore stored in A$

Is this even possible?

Thanks

John
p_m21987
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon 02 Apr 2018, 21:51

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by p_m21987 »

Hello,

I think this is what you want:

http://www.bbcbasic.co.uk/bbcwin/manual ... directcall

I mean the part labelled "Indirect procedure and function calls", just in case your browser doesn't automatically open the page at that position.

PM
hinckleyj
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat 02 Jun 2018, 08:02

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by hinckleyj »

Hi Patrick,
Thank you for the link. Yes, this is what I am trying to achieve.

I tried the first example:-

pptr% = ^PROC1
REM ....
PROC(pptr%)

However, this crashes BBC 4 Win!

If I remove the ^ it no longer crashes the IDE.

Any idea's
p_m21987
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon 02 Apr 2018, 21:51

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by p_m21987 »

Would you be able to post the code that's crashing for you? I tried to replicate what you've described, but it works fine without crashing in both BB4W and BBCSDL.

This is the code that I made in trying to replicate what you described:

Code: Select all

      PROCdummy: REM at least one conventional PROC or FN call must have been made before you attempt to read a procedure or function pointer

      pptr%=^PROC1
      PROC(pptr%)

      PRINT "Reached end of program"
      END

      DEFPROC1
      PRINT"PROC1 called"
      ENDPROC

      DEFPROCdummy
      ENDPROC
If I remove the ^ as you describe, I get Syntax error.

PM
Last edited by p_m21987 on Fri 29 Jun 2018, 15:40, edited 1 time in total.
Zaphod
Posts: 78
Joined: Sat 23 Jun 2018, 15:51

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by Zaphod »

Try this:

Code: Select all

      PROCdummy

      pptr% = ^PROC1
      REM ....
      PROC(pptr%)
      END

      DEF PROC1
      PRINT "Hello"
      ENDPROC

      DEF PROCdummy:ENDPROC
If you didn't run a PROC (any PROC) before you ran your code you would get a No such FN/PROC. But that is in the manual as well but perhaps not explained too well. The program is only scanned for PROC addresses when it has to execute one so until you run PROCdummy it does not know that PROC1 exists.

Z
Zaphod
Posts: 78
Joined: Sat 23 Jun 2018, 15:51

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by Zaphod »

Snap!

Z
hinckleyj
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat 02 Jun 2018, 08:02

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by hinckleyj »

Hi Patrick,

Just replied, but its not appeared in the forum??
Try again.

10 PROC_Dummy
20 REPEAT
30 REPEAT
40 CLS
50 PRINT "1 - Menu Item 1"
60 PRINT "2 - Menu Item 2"
70 INPUT "Enter selection "; Selection%
80 UNTIL Selection% >0 AND Selection% <3
90 pptr%=^Selection%
100 PROC(pptr%)
110 PRINT : PRINT "Run again Y/N? "
120 REPEAT
130 Key$ = GET$
140 UNTIL INSTR("YNyn", Key$)
150 UNTIL INSTR("Nn", Key$)
160 QUIT
170 REM Procedure 1
180 DEF PROC1
190 INPUT "First number ";FirstNum%
200 INPUT "Second number ";SecondNum%
210 PRINT
220 Answer% = FirstNum% + SecondNum%
230 PRINT FirstNum%; "plus "; SecondNum%; " = ";Answer%
240 ENDPROC
250 REM -----------------------------
260 REM Procedure 2
270 DEF PROC2
280 INPUT "First number ";FirstNum%
290 INPUT "Second number ";SecondNum%
300 PRINT
310 Answer% = FirstNum% - SecondNum%
320 PRINT FirstNum%; " minus "; SecondNum%; " = ";Answer%
330 ENDPROC
340 REM -----------------------------
350 DEF PROC_Dummy
360 ENDPROC

I've included line numbers in case you need to refer to lines in my code.

Thanks
p_m21987
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon 02 Apr 2018, 21:51

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by p_m21987 »

Hello hinckleyj,
It looks like the problem with your code is, you're taking the address of integer variable Selection%, and then trying to call that address as a PROCedure.

I was able to get your program to work by changing line 90:

Code: Select all

   10 PROC_Dummy
   20 REPEAT
   30   REPEAT
   40     CLS
   50     PRINT "1 - Menu Item 1"
   60     PRINT "2 - Menu Item 2"
   70     INPUT "Enter selection "; Selection%
   80   UNTIL Selection% >0 AND Selection% <3
   90   pptr%=EVAL("^PROC"+STR$(Selection%))
  100   PROC(pptr%)
  110   PRINT : PRINT "Run again Y/N? "
  120   REPEAT
  130     Key$ = GET$
  140   UNTIL INSTR("YNyn", Key$)
  150 UNTIL INSTR("Nn", Key$)
  160 QUIT
  170 REM Procedure 1
  180 DEF PROC1
  190 INPUT "First number ";FirstNum%
  200 INPUT "Second number ";SecondNum%
  210 PRINT
  220 Answer% = FirstNum% + SecondNum%
  230 PRINT FirstNum%; "plus "; SecondNum%; " = ";Answer%
  240 ENDPROC
  250 REM -----------------------------
  260 REM Procedure 2
  270 DEF PROC2
  280 INPUT "First number ";FirstNum%
  290 INPUT "Second number ";SecondNum%
  300 PRINT
  310 Answer% = FirstNum% - SecondNum%
  320 PRINT FirstNum%; " minus "; SecondNum%; " = ";Answer%
  330 ENDPROC
  340 REM -----------------------------
  350 DEF PROC_Dummy
  360 ENDPROC
PM
Zaphod
Posts: 78
Joined: Sat 23 Jun 2018, 15:51

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by Zaphod »

Sorry to cross in the mail again. EVAL gets what you want but also look at ON PROC methods it may be more suited to your need.

The manual has this which is eerily similar.

Code: Select all

CLS
PRINT "Select the action you wish to take:"
PRINT "1 Open a new data file"
PRINT "2 Add data to the file"
PRINT "3 Close the file and end"''
REPEAT
  INPUT TAB(10,20)"What is your choice",choice
UNTIL choice>0 AND choice<4
ON choice PROC_open,PROC_add,PROC_close
.....etc

In your case the change would only be to replace lines 90 and 100 with

Code: Select all

  90   ON Selection% PROC1, PROC2 
Z
Last edited by Zaphod on Fri 29 Jun 2018, 15:55, edited 1 time in total.
hinckleyj
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat 02 Jun 2018, 08:02

Re: Calling a Procedure using a Variable

Post by hinckleyj »

Hi Patrick,

WOW! Thank you so much!

I have been going round in circles with this, and you've solved it.

Perfect!

Many thanks to you.

John