Dynamic Array Extensions
This product supports a special kind of string variable called a 'dynamic array'. The word 'dynamic' means that this type of variable is designed to allow stored data to grow or shrink in size. In addition, the stored data is easily accessible and changeable. Dynamic arrays allow volumes of data to be organized, stored, referenced, counted, and manipulated by use of just 1 single string variable. Access to the data is instantaneous via the Dynamic Array VBA extensions that follow.
Dynamic Arrays are special string variables that use low end ANSI characters (1, 2, and 3) as 'delimiters' to separate data into Fields using Chr(1), Subfields using Chr(2), and Sub-subfields using Chr(3). These delimiters were chosen because data being entered or scanned are never expected to contain them. To use Dynamic Arrays in your programming, you do not need to reference these characters, the server simply uses them internally to manage stored data.
Why Use Dynamic Arrays?
1. There are no limits to the amount of data that may be stored.
2. The alternative is to declare and use subscripted variables, the number of which may be insufficient .
3. The server has been optimized to access and manipulate this type of data instantaneously.
For illustrative purposes, the ‘Field’ and ‘Subfield’ delimiters are represented in the examples below as follows:
Dynamic Array Field delimiter (Chr(1)) as a ‘&’
Dynamic Array Subfield delimiter (Chr(2)) as a ’#’
Dynamic Array Sub-Subfield delimiter (Chr(3)) as a ’@’
These functions work on fields, subfields, or sub-subfields, and are available for use with the Dynamic Array Extension:
DCount (Delimiter Count), Del (deletes), Ext (extracts), FixLeft (pads from left), Fix Right (pads from right), Ins (insert value)
LeftField (search from left then extract), Locate (find index), LocateAdd (add value if it doesn't exist), LocateDel (removes a value), LocateField(searches by string or delimiter)Rep (replaces), RField (searches from right then extracts), SortAlpha (sorts alphabetically), and SortNum (sorts numerically)