BBS: Inland Empire Archive
Date: 11-12-92 (13:31) Number: 341
From: TONY ELLIOTT Refer#: NONE
To: JON LEGER Recvd: NO
Subj: Re: HELP! Conf: (2) Quik_Bas
Jon,
JL> Could someone explain to me what $DYNAMIC means? And while you're at
JL> it, STATIC... What does all that do?
QuickBASIC has two different areas in which your variables are stored:
DGroup (sometimes called the "near heap") and the "far heap". Data
stored in DGroup are your non-array variables ("scalars"), and static
arrays. Data stored in DGroup can be accessed the quickest. The problem
is Dgroup is limited to a total of 64K.
"static" arrays are those which are allocated at compile-time to a
fixed size (they can't be erased or REDIMed) and stored in DGroup.
Because BASIC uses DGroup for lots of other things as well (internal
variables, the stack, etc.), you can quickly run out of DGroup space
after allocating one or two big arrays. The $STATIC metacommand tells
BASIC to place all arrays (except for variable-length string arrays)
allocated after the statement in DGroup.
"Dynamic" arrays are allocated at runtime and placed in the far heap.
The far heap consists of all conventional DOS memory except for your
code space and that which DGroup occupies. The $Dynamic metacommand
directs BASIC to place all arrays (again, except for variable-length
string arrays) on the far heap. Dynamic arrays can be erased (removed
from memory) and REDIMed to a different size. However, access to
dynamic arrays is slows than static arrays. Most feel this is a
reasonable trade-off.
Like with any rule, there are exceptions. While in the QB/QBX/VBDOS
environments, all arrays are dynamic - regardless of the use of
$STATIC/$DYNAMIC (there's even an exception to this rule, which I won't
bother going into right now). Also, regardless of being in the IDE or
in an .EXE, arrays DIMed in a dynamic procedures are dynamic by nature.
Also, using REDIM or a variable to define the array bounds (e.g. DIM
Array$(1 TO Top%)) will make the array dynamic.
Thoroughly confused?
Tony
... I know a good tagline when I steal one.
--- Blue Wave/Max v2.10 [NR]
* Origin: Oakland BBS - McDonough, GA - (404) 954-0071 (1:133/706.0)
