[AccessD] Global Variable

Okay Drew, you've completely confused me (which often is not all that hard
to do). I thought it was always a "good" practice to type variables
according to use. I use integers for things like months, loop counters (the
infamous dim x),etc. and longs only when I know the number has a chance to
exceed the integer limit. I hope you are not arguing integers are "bad"
because they are less efficient, take up more cycles, etc. Using that
standard we should all be programming using assembler. 

Jim Hale

-----Original Message-----
From: DWUTKA at marlow.com [mailto:DWUTKA at marlow.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 11:39 AM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: RE: [AccessD] Global Variable


LOL.  Well, I did say that exceeding an Integer is possible, but that was a
philosophical point.  It could exceed 32k, in your example, if you decided
to include an extended family tree. Either way, using an Integer is much
slower then a Long Integer.

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Marcus [mailto:marcus at tsstech.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 7:41 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: RE: [AccessD] Global Variable


<< Declaring a variables an Integer IS bad practice.  It is bad practice
because even if you think a variable will never go over 32k, or below
-32k, it can, and probably will.

Question: So when will the following declaration exceed the 32k, -32k
limit?

Dim intFamilyMembers as integer 'Number of immediate family members

Answer: When you declare the variable as a Public (global) variable,
then some other function written by some other developer changes its
intended use causing the original function to possibly work incorrectly.

Scott Marcus

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
DWUTKA at marlow.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 7:05 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: RE: [AccessD] Global Variable

I guess I'm not seeing the same definition from John, though it was
closer
in the last few posts.  Yes, 'bad practice' sends me into a tail spin,
when
there is no reason for calling something bad practice.  Declaring a
variable
as an Integer IS bad practice.  It is bad practice because even if you
think
a variable will never go over 32k, or below -32k, it can, and probably
will.
But more importantly, an Integer is a 16 bit variable, and it takes
longer
to process an Integer then it does a Long Integer, on a 32 bit system.
The
first reason is a philosophy.  The second reason is a FACT!

I have yet to hear a fact, as to why Globals are 'bad practice'.  What
gets
my goat, though, is that this is a forum where developers of all skill
level
meet.  If opinions are given as facts, developers who are learning
something
new could be hampered by prejudice.  Ever run into an IT shop that
refuses
to allow applications to be developed in Access, because 'it's not a
database', or 'it's not secure', or something else, that is just
ignorance
repeated through 'tribal knowledge'?  (There is also usually power
involved...and IT shop has more power and control involved when
something is
on a server side db.)  That's why I rail on this stuff, because invalid
tribal knowledge can be dangerous!

Drew


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