Re: 4GL variable substitution in SQL statements - a feature request

Art S. Kagel wrote: > > Peter Lancashire wrote: > > > > Having been bitten by this one several times recently I thought I would > > ask if anyone else finds it a problem. > [SNIP] > > The current system makes it tricky to use variable names that are the > > same as column names unless the column names are qualified with a table > > name or given the @ prefix. > [SNIP] > This is the reason most of us just avoid using column and table names > as 4GL variable names without either prefixing them (like p_column for > "program variable" or g_/s_/l_ for Global/Static/Local etc) or placing > the variables into a structure so that the structure.field syntax makes > it clear to the compiler and read both that this is a program variable. > > The real solution here is coding discipline. > > Art S. Kagel I thought I had left behind compilers that forced me to begin variable names in odd ways with Fortran :-). I accept that it is sensible to distinguish global and module variables (static is a C term, not 4GL), but why *prevent* programmers from using unadorned local variable names? May I rephrase: "The real workaround here is coding discipline"? I'll go and find my whip... -- Peter Lancashire Information Systems Specialist, Bayer plc Eastern Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7AH, UK Tel: +44-1635-562258, Fax: +44-1635-562281 --- If all else fails, read the instructions and the release notes. Join Infuse, the UK Informix User Group at http://www.infuse.org.uk/ ---