So you want to keep multiple pieces of information about a collection of things.
| code: |
var student_first_names : array 1 .. 10 of string
var student_last_names : array 1 .. 10 of string var student_years : array 1 .. 10 of int var student_grades : array 1 .. 10 of int |
This seems relatively obvious, but now you have four separate arrays to keep synchronized. Imagine passing all of that into a function or procedure, for instance.
Now, let's consider the alternative.
| code: |
type student : record
first_name : string last_name : string year : int grade : int end record var students : array 1 .. 10 of student |
Or even better, perhaps.
| code: |
type name_type : record
first : string last : string end record type student_type : record name : name_type last_name : string year : int grade : int end record var students : array 1 .. 10 of student_type |
| code: |
procedure print_student_with_name (lffn : string, lfln : string, fn : array 1 .. 10 of string, ln : array 1 .. 10 of string, y : array 1 .. 10 of int, g : array 1 .. 10 of int)
for i : 1 .. 10 if fn (i) = lffn and ln (i) = lfln then put ln (i), ', ', fn (i), ' - year: ', y (i), '; grade: ', g (i) end if end for end print_student_with_name |
vs.
| code: |
procedure print_student_with_name (lffn : string, lfln : string, students : var 1 .. 10 of student_type)
for i : 1 .. 10 if students (i).name.first = lffn and students (i).name.last = lfln then put students (i).name.last, ', ', students (i).name.first, ' - year: ', students (i).year, '; grade: ', students (i).grade end if end for end print_student_with_name |
Or maybe...
| code: |
procedure print_student_info (fn : string, ln : string, year : int, grade : int)
put ln, ', ', fn, ' - year: ', year, '; grade: ', grade end print_student_info procedure print_student_with_name (lffn : string, lfln : string, fn : array 1 .. 10 of string, ln : array 1 .. 10 of string, y : array 1 .. 10 of int, g : array 1 .. 10 of int) for i : 1 .. 10 if fn (i) = lffn and ln (i) = lfln then print_student_info (fn (i), ln (i), y (i), g (i)) end if end for end print_student_with_name |
vs.
| code: |
procedure print_student_info (student : student_type)
put student.name.last, ', ', student.name.first, ' - year: ', student.year, '; grade: ', student.grade end print_student_info procedure print_student_with_name (lffn : string, lfln : string, students : array 1 .. 10 of student_type) for i : 1 .. 10 if students (i).name.first = lffn and students (i).name.last = lfln then print_student_info (students (i)) end if end for end print_student_with_name |
Edit by Clayton: Just a minor correction in the last example. Good job wtd!
