code:

---

SELECT
CASE $var="one"
  $num=1
CASE $var="two"
  $num=2
CASE $var="three"
  $num=3
CASE 1
  $num=0
ENDSELECT
? $num

---

When invoked as

kix32 testcase $var="two"

it works as expected with output of "2". But if $var is not defined the first CASE expression seems to come out TRUE as

kix32 testcase

results in output of "1".

This means that you have to be careful to explicitly check the CASE $var="" condition
as the first CASE of any SELECT CASE ENDSELECT construct.

Anyone any ideas what's going on here?

Regards

------------------
--
Gerry Mulvenna, Applications Development Manager, Computing Services
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH14 4AS
http://www.mulvenna.demon.co.uk/gerry/ G.J.Mulvenna@hw.ac.uk
Tel: +44-(0)131-451 3794 Fax: +44-(0)131-451 3261

I've had the same problem. For example if you do a len($var) and $var wasn't defined on the command line, you get a script error. I get around this with an IF check on the command line variable first, like this...

code:

---

if $var
 SELECT
 CASE $var="one"
  $num=1
 CASE $var="two"
  $num=2
 CASE $var="three"
  $num=3
 CASE 1
  $num=0
 ENDSELECT
else
 $num = 0
endif
? $num

---

This doesn't answer your question, but I hope it helps. Maybe KIX needs a DEF($var) type function so one can check if the variable was assigned on the command line.

Shawn.

code:

---

IF $var=""
  ? 'Usage: kix32 testcase $var="something"'
  EXIT(1)
ENDIF

---

I've sent something about this unexpected behaviour to rkinput@microsoft.com in case the Kixtart developers want to review the behaviour of undefined variables in conditions.

I suppose it's the ambiguity of the = operator that is avoided in languages which have different assignment and equality operators (e.g. = and ==).

Regards

------------------
Gerry Mulvenna, Applications Development Manager, Computing Services
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH14 4AS
www.mulvenna.demon.co.uk/gerry/ G.J.Mulvenna@hw.ac.uk
Tel: +44-(0)131-451 3794 Fax: +44-(0)131-451 3261

Here are some code doing various checks

code:

---

;$var="dummy"
$dmyvar1=$var+"x"
?" Testing undefined variable var + x (string operation):$dmyvar1."
$dmyvar2=$var+"9"
?" Testing undefined variable var + 9 (number operation):$dmyvar2."
$var="dummy"
$dmyvar3=$var+"x"
?" Testing   defined variable var + x (string operation):$dmyvar3."
$dmyvar4=$var+"9"
?" Testing   defined variable var + 9 (number operation):$dmyvar4."
; Check undefined variable (use the first dummy variable)
If $dmyvar1=0
  ?" Variable var is undefined!"
Else
  ?" Variable var is defined!"
EndIf

---

The supprice comes when you look at the output:

code:

---

 Testing undefined variable var + x (string operation):0.
 Testing undefined variable var + 9 (number operation):9.
 Testing   defined variable var + x (string operation):dummyx.
 Testing   defined variable var + 9 (number operation):dummy9.
 Variable var is undefined!

---

I have used the $dmyvar1 variant successfully, an hope this tip will help you as well!

Regards HF

------------------