Wish: variable_id()
- Posted by Andy Serpa <ac at onehorseshy.com> Dec 31, 2002
- 532 views
It has been suggested before to add the ability to parse/execute strings as Euphoria code, which would be terrific, but short of that, how about variable_id(), which ought to be in the realm of possibility, plus we've already got routine_id(), and it is lonely. The ability to look up variables by their names ala variable_id("x") would make it trivial to make a user-created expression evaluator without all sorts of code for assigning variables. Of course, along with variable_id() we'd need a couple of extra functions to make assignments & lookup values via id -- i.e. get_value(v_id) & assign(v_id, new_value). Or maybe just make available a special array of all variables accessible within the current scope as is done in some languages. [ i.e. VAR_ARRAY[4] = new_value; find("x",VAR_ARRAY_NAMES), etc. ] Unlike many suggestions for new features, which are shortcuts that might make things easier but don't add new functionality to the language, this would open up all sorts of new possibilities that currently are...well, not possible.