Each instance of a class?

[Cervantes]

Is there any way for Turing to go through each instance of a class and do something with it?

ex.
I want to make a button class. It looks something like this (with the procedure's code left out for easier reading)

Turing:

unit class BUTTON     export INIT, checkSelect, drawButton     var button :         record             x1, y1, x2, y2 : int             highlighted, selected : boolean             selectionTimer : int             selectionNum : int             boarder :                 record                     width, height : int                     clr : int                 end record             label_ :                 record                     text : string                     font : int                     x, y : int                     clr : int                 end record             clr :                 record                     current : int                     main, highlight, select : int                 end record         end record     proc INIT (x, y, width, height : int, boarderWidth, boarderHeight, oarderClr : int, labelText : string,         fontNum : int, labelX, labelY : int, labelClr : int, currentClr : int, mainClr, highlightClr, selectClr : int)     end INIT     procedure checkSelect     end checkSelect     proc drawButton     end drawButton end BUTTON

Right. So when I want to use that in my program, I first make a bunch of instances of the BUTTON class, then I want to (inside my main loop) go through each instance of the BUTTON class and run the checkSelect procedure. Then I want to draw each button. But I don't want to have to resort to doing this:

Turing:

import BUTTON in "location" var quitButton : ^ BUTTON new BUTTON, quitButton quitButton -> INIT (parameters) var button1 : ^ BUTTON new BUTTON, button1 button1 -> INIT (parameters) var button2 : ^ BUTTON new BUTTON, button2 button2 -> INIT (parameters) %So far, that's fine.  There's no avoiding making each one and initializing each one. loop %main loop     quitButton -> checkSelect %this is what I'm trying to avoid.      button1 -> checkSelect %doing this for every button is not cool,     button2 -> checkSelect %especially when if I've got more buttons.  :'(         cls     quitButton -> drawButton     button1 -> drawButton     button2 -> drawButton     View.Update end loop

Thanks in advance,
-Cervantes

[Delos]

Idea 1:
- instead of instantiating so many specific vars, why not just use an array of ints/whatever other type you need? I'm sure you can do that in a nice loop...flexible arrays could even make things easier.
Also, you might want to add procs within the class that can handle that sort of things...

Turing:

buttonArray -> INIT_all

Idea 2:
If you want to keep your specifically named vars...
Each time a var is instantiated (in your unavoidable clause), add a reference/pointer/other such Post-It to an array within the class that can then be called by another procedure to do things...

Turing:

var but1 : ^ BUTTON but1 -> INIT (params) % Meanwhile...inside the class! proc INIT (prams)    new buttonCheckList, upper(buttonCheckList) + 1    % Add info to this new entry...drawing mainly from params for specificity %... end INIT

Could work...

[Tony]

sorry, no time to read though that. You can dig though GUI class source to see what they are doing there. I'm pretty sure that each new instance (class.initialize) adds a pointer to self to a global, flexable array.

GUI.processEvents when loops though that array, processing each instance.

Just have to remember to remove the pointer upon disassembly of the instance

[wtd]

Why can't you have:

code:

var foo : array something...something of ^ BUTTON

[Cervantes]

Given the somewhat limited time I've got, I went straight to wtd's suggestion, as it seemed the simplest.

Turing:

var buttons : array 1 .. 2 of ^BUTTON for i : 1 .. upper (buttons)     new BUTTON, buttons (i) end for buttons (1) -> INIT (params) buttons (2) -> INIT (params) loop     for i : 1 .. upper (buttons)         buttons (i) -> checkButtons     end for     cls     for i : 1 .. upper (buttons)         buttons (i) -> drawButtons     end for     View.Update     delay (10) end loop

Nice. But, I'm now confused about how I'm going to make the button do something, when you click on it. Obviously, the code has to be in the program, not the class. But I don't want to do it like Turing's GUI has done it, as that's annoyed me to no end. So far as I know, Turing's GUI won't let you do anything with functions, or with procedures with parameters.
Any ideas?
-Cervantes

P.S. Delos, I don't understand how INIT_all would be any better, because you're way I'd have to initiate the array. This way, I have to initiate the button using a pile of parameters. I don't know, I don't think it's avoidable.

[wtd]

Use a real programming language.

[Cervantes]

wtd wrote:

Use a real programming language.

Out of context, Cervantes wrote:

I don't know, I don't think it's avoidable.

After three full semesters of no computer science class, I'm back in the class. And we learn Turing. *cough*

My thinking right now is I'm going to create a function of the button that will return whether the button is clicked or not. In the main loop of the program that uses the buttons, I'll case through all the buttons and insert procedures if whichever button is true. It means I'll have to go through all the buttons, but at least it's only the second time, and at least it's the last time.

-Cervantes