Flexible function results?

[cavetroll]

I am trying to create a pathfinding algorithm (A* to be exact) using a function that will return an array which holds the positions of the steps to take. Is it possible to do something like this:

Turing:

fcn Astar(start,finish : coords) : flexible array 1 .. 1 %code end Astar

Not exact code just example.

What I want is for it to get larger every time and then assign the value to another flexible array outside the function. Any way to do this or I'm i gonna just have to rewrite some of my code?

[richcash]

cavetroll wrote:

What I want is for it to get larger every time and then assign the value to another flexible array outside the function.

From what I can recall, you can not assign flexible arrays in Turing (even if you use another flexible array).

To my knowledge, there is also no way of having a function return a flexible array. So I think you'll have to rewrite your code (or write your own array class).

[Euphoracle]

The one thing I really hated about turing, is you can't actually use the flexible arrays for anything useful. The only way you can do it in turing is to create the array outside the procedure and update it externally. Turing doesn't allow you to do ANY reflection at all, so you're VERY limitted as to how you can do this.

[Clayton]

Unfortunately, the only kind of array you can return from a function in Turing is a static array with known bounds at compile-time. This means, the only way to return an array, is something clunky like this:

code:

function foo (bar, baz : int) : array 1 .. 5 of int     %stuff end foo

[cavetroll]

Oh well geuss I'm gonna have to recode my program. Thats ok though because my computer crashed and I lost some of it.

Anyway thanks for the responses

[Saad]

What you can do wrap the flexible array in a class, and have member functions which allow you to add/remove stuff from the array

Turing:

class FlexibleArray     export add, getn     var data : flexible array 1 .. 0 of int     proc add (moo : int)         new data, upper (data) + 1         data (upper (data)) := moo     end add     fcn getn (n : int) : int         result data (n)     end getn end FlexibleArray proc manipulate (foo : ^FlexibleArray)     for i : 1 .. 4         foo -> add (i)     end for     for i : 1 .. 4         put foo -> getn (i)     end for end manipulate var foo : ^FlexibleArray new foo manipulate (foo) free foo

Thats just a start, you can figure out the rest

[richcash]

If you make your own class like a100 did, you can do exactly what you wanted to originally.

Turing:

%place a100's class here var outsider : ^FlexibleArray new FlexibleArray, outsider fcn Astar () : ^FlexibleArray    var arr : ^FlexibleArray    new FlexibleArray, arr    arr -> add (2)    arr -> add (3)    result arr end Astar outsider := Astar ()

*code untested

[Euphoracle]

Awrwrwrwr, I didn't know you could do that! D: That would have saved me so much hackyness in my final project last year >_>

[cavetroll]

Wow you guys saved me so much recoding. Thank you so much. I'll make sure to put both of you in the credits.

[Saad]

If you want I have attached the whole, some what generic, FlexibleArray class.