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variant.htm
Navigation:  Language Reference > 3 - Variable Declarations > Data Types >VARIANT (OLE API VARIANT) Previous pageReturn to chapter overviewNext page
label VARIANT [,DIM( )] , [,NAME( )] [,EXTERNAL] [,DLL]
[,STATIC] [,THREAD] [,AUTO] [,PRIVATE] [,PROTECTED]

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VARIANT An OLE API VARIANT. The ANY data type is preferable if the program does not use OLE API functions.
DIM Dimension the variable as an array.
NAME Specify an alternate, “external” name for the field.
EXTERNAL Specify the variable is defined, and its memory is allocated, in an external library. Not valid within FILE, QUEUE, or GROUP declarations.
DLL Specify the variable is defined in a .DLL. This is required in addition to the EXTERNAL attribute.
STATIC Specify the variable's memory is permanently allocated.
THREAD Specify memory for the variable is allocated once for each execution thread. Also implicitly adds the STATIC attribute on Procedure Local data.
AUTO Ignored by the compiler but does not produce an error
PRIVATE Specify the variable is not visible outside the module containing the CLASS methods. Valid only in a CLASS.
PROTECTED Specify the variable is not visible outside base CLASS and derived CLASS methods. Valid only in a CLASS.

The OLE API VARIANT iis equivalent to the OLE API Variant type. A VARIANT can be assigned any data type, and can be a field within a QUEUE. The compiler ignores the AUTO attribute for variables of VARIANT type. The value of a VARIANT can reference another VARIANT if its type has the VT_BYREF flag. Such lists can be of any depth. The Clarion RTL handles only one level of references. The Clarion RTL sets the VT_BYREF flag to values of VARIANTs only on a reference assignment, for example:

V      VARIANT
X      <;some type>

CODE

V &amp;= X        !the RTL sets the VT_BYREF flag

The VARIANT type can be used in the left side of reference assignments. The SIZE function returns 16 regardless of the contents of the VARIANT.

Example:

V1 VARIANT !declare VARIANT
V2 VARIANT,DIM(2) !declare VARIANT array
V3 VARIANT,STATIC !Static memory allocation
V4 VARIANT,AUTO !AUTO is ignored by the compiler
V5 VARIANT,THREAD !set THREAD attribute
V6 VARIANT,NAME('DT') !external name

see also:

BSTRING

 

variant.htm.txt · Last modified: 2021/04/15 15:57 by 127.0.0.1