This UDT thing really bugs me...

[SMcNeill]

And if you want to do something really strange, DECLARE LIBRARY your own sub and pass an offset value of something to it, so it can process it as a UDT...

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. DECLARE CUSTOMTYPE LIBRARY 'Use Customtype for self-referencing a sub written inside your program
2.     SUB SUB_EXAMPLE (BYVAL passed AS _OFFSET) 'this points to SUB EXAMPLE below, but uses an OFFSET to point to its parameter.
3.     'NOTE:  The sub/function name *MUST* be the same as QB64 translates it as, for us.
4.     'General rule of thumb is to make the subname ALL CAPS, preceeded by SUB_ or FUNCTION_ as dictated.
5.     SUB SUB_EXAMPLE2 (BYVAL passed AS _OFFSET)
6. END DECLARE
7.  
8. TYPE DataType 'A datatype to use as an example
9.     x AS STRING * 12
10.     y AS LONG
11.     z AS LONG
12. END TYPE
13.  
14. TYPE DataType2 'a second datatype
15.     byte1 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
16.     byte2 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
17.     byte3 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
18.     byte4 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
19.     byte5 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
20.     byte6 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
21.     byte7 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
22.     byte8 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
23.     byte9 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
24.     byte10 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
25.     byte11 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
26.     byte12 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
27.     byte13 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
28.     byte14 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
29.     byte15 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
30.     byte16 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
31.     byte17 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
32.     byte18 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
33.     byte19 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
34.     byte20 AS _UNSIGNED _BYTE
35. END TYPE
36.  
37. a$ = "Hello World " + MKL$(-1) + MKL$(3)
38.  
39.  
40. SUB_EXAMPLE _OFFSET(a$) 'Call the sub with the offset to a string
41. SLEEP
42. SUB_EXAMPLE2 _OFFSET(a$) 'Notice, we passed the same string, but are handling it differently here,
43. '                             according to the paramters set in the second sub
44.  
45.  
46.  
47.  
48.  
49. END
50.  
51. SUB Example (t AS DataType) 'And here, we want to set up the actual sub to work with our example datatype.
52.     PRINT t.x 'print the values of that memblock
53.     PRINT t.y
54.     PRINT t.z
55. END SUB
56.  
57. SUB Example2 (x AS DataType2)
58.     COLOR 12
59.     PRINT x.byte1
60.     PRINT x.byte2
61.     PRINT x.byte3
62.     PRINT x.byte4
63.     PRINT x.byte5
64.     PRINT x.byte6
65.     PRINT x.byte7
66.     PRINT x.byte8
67.     PRINT x.byte9
68.     PRINT x.byte10
69.     PRINT x.byte11
70.     PRINT x.byte12
71.     PRINT x.byte13
72.     PRINT x.byte14
73.     PRINT x.byte15
74.     PRINT x.byte16
75.     PRINT x.byte17
76.     PRINT x.byte18
77.     PRINT x.byte19
78.     PRINT x.byte20
79. END SUB
80.  

Now of this bit of trickery doesn't have you scratching your head and wondering just what the heck is happening here, then you win the Obfuscated Coder Award for 2021!

[FellippeHeitor]

The man doesn't wanna write an extra AS UDT, Steve.

[Pete]

:D :D :D

[SMcNeill]

The man doesn't wanna write an extra AS UDT, Steve.

And he’s not.  He’s writing one string and using it with the UDT above. 

What Pete needs is UDTS (user defined type symbols).  Then he can

TYPE foo(%@)
    X AS INTEGER
    Y AS INTEGER
END TYPE

a%@.x = 12
b%@.y = 11

And PRESTO!!  a and b are automatically recognized as type foos.  Can you imagine the colorful type symbols we'd see someone, like Pete, inserting into his code?
   

[FellippeHeitor]

Still missing the point, big guy.

[SMcNeill]

Still missing the point, big guy.

I gets it.  Pete gets it.  You're just missing out on the satirically snarky humor me and Pete exchange.  ;D

[FellippeHeitor]

Sure. My bad, sir. Won't happen again.

[Pete]

Sure. My bad, sir. Won't happen again.

Having both Steve and I on the same forum might be a bit much for you and luke, at times, but you have to appreciate our co-existence is a great asset to Bill in his quest to prove the existence of a multiverse. Based on the premise both Steve's ego and my ego cannot exist together on the size of this forum, let alone a single universe, Bill is one step closer to understanding unified field theory. Oops, now I've taken us from UDTs to UFTs. Oh well, if you will excuse me, my foo got quantum entangled in my shawl again, and it's time for my hot cocoa.

Pete

[SMcNeill]

...one step closer to understanding unified field theory.

Nothing complicated to understand there.  UFT is just the theory that if you keep all your cows in the same field, you don't have to walk as far to milk them.  Any farmer can explain that one for you!

To break down the humor for Fell, it goes like this:

Pete: "Change QB64 so I don't have to type 6 characters.  I'm lazy!"
Me: "You don't have to!  You can work around that limit by typing half a page of obfuscated code."
Fell: "No, Pete just doesn't want to type 'AS UDT'..."
Me:"OH!  Then we should add extra symbols to type every time you reference a variable!"
Fell:"You're missing the point!"
Me: "No...  You're missing the humor of how I was joking with Pete."
Fell:  *Sulks in the corner and edits a post a half dozen times to say, "Fine.  Whatever."*

See, Pete likes to joke around and ask for unreasonable things, that no one else wants or cares about.  The answer is to give him an equally unreasonable workaround to his problem, or an obnoxiously over-engineered implementation to correct his issue.  Pete's not really looking for any change -- he's just having fun griping about an issue that popped up in his code that he failed to catch and recognize.

It's all just playful banter back and forth, but you have to be the right TYPE to appreciate it. ;D

[FellippeHeitor]

Of course, sir. I apologize once again.