Variables are core entities of ScriptBasic. Variables are used to store string, real or integer values. Variable names start with alpha characters, underscore, dollar sign or colon, and from the second character they may contain digit characters in addition to all these characters. The last character of a variable name should not be colon.
Whenever you need a variable choose a meaningful name. If you are a real old BASIC programmer use trailing $ to denote string variables. However ScriptBasic can store any value in any variable, one at a time of course.
The colon as a name character is allowed to help name space management, and you should use it only for the purpose.
The following are valid and invalid variable name examples:
_mother If it is your taste to start a variable with underscore you can.
Beee$bop Valid, but it is not recommended. The dollar sign is allowed in
variable names to allow the usual BASIC string variable notation.
System or application specific extensions may use predefined global
variable names that contain a $ sign inside. Using such variable
names you may get into conflict.
::boo This is valid. This variable is explicitly noted to be in the
current name space.
_::baa This is valid. The variable is in the parent name space.
::chr$ This is valid, even though chr$ is a predefined function.
myvariable This is a perfectly legal variable name.
main::var This is OK. This variable is in the name space main.
chr$ This is invalid. Chr$ is a reserved word,
this is a built-in function
apple$ This is OK. You will use it probably to store strings.
b:2 This is valid, but it is recommended not to use : inside
variable names, because it is unreadable.
Use colon only to separate hierarchical name space and
variable name.
For more information on name spaces read the chapter Name spaces.
Variables can contain any data in ScriptBasic. There is nothing like integer or string variable. A variable may contain integer value at a time a real value another time and string value later. You can use a variable name to use real, integer or string value at a time; later you may use the variable as an array; later as a real again. You can change it any time.
Variables can be local or global. Global variables are those that are not declared but used (unless declare option DeclareVars is specified in the code, or declare option DefaultLocal declaration is in effect). Any variable by default is global unless it is declared to be local. Local variables are local to the function or subroutine in which they are declared to be local. To declare local variables you should use the command local. (Note that it is possible to use the directive declare option DeclareVars to require explicit variable declarations. This directive is detailed later.)
'A is a global variable
A=13
Call MySUB
Print A,"\n",B
Sub MySUB
Local A
A=9
B=55
End Sub
REM This is a sample program to demonstrate local variables
The output of the program is
13
55
This is because the variable B inside the sub is global, but the variable A is local and as such it does not alter the value of the global variable A. You can define one or more variables to be local in a local statement. If you declare more than one variable to be local then you have to separate the variable names with commas.