Resizing arrays.

[lmont761]

Hi everyone. Quick beginner question. If you have a dynamic array declared as a global named X, and you pass it by reference to a function, is it legal in Pascal to resize array X from inside the function?

Thanks.

[howardpc]

If the array is declared as a global entity you don't need to pass a reference to it.
Your function can resize it by direct access.

[Kays]

Hi everyone. Quick beginner question. If you have a dynamic array declared as a global named X, and you pass it by reference to a function, is it legal in Pascal to resize array X from inside the function?

Does the compiler emit an error? Then it’s legal. Please read the reference guide for further basic questions.

[lmont761]

Thanks a lot guys!

[Thaddy]

if you mean something like this

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure Setit(var X:Array of Byte);
2. begin
3.   SetLength(X,100);
4. end;                      
5.  

That is wrong.
The parameter is not a dynamic array but an open array parameter.
See the manual: https://www.freepascal.org/docs-html/ref/refsu68.html
Use TByteArray as parameter and it works as you expect.

The latter part of the post seems that you already tried something in the good direction.
Here is an example how it should be done.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. type TByteArray = array of byte;
2. procedure Setit(var X:TByteArray);
3. begin
4.   SetLength(X,100);
5. end;

[Zoran]

Read this post from long time ago. The link there seems to be still valid.

There has always been a lot of confusion with open array parameters and dynamic arrays.

[Thaddy]

Indeed. I remember that I also answered such a question before.

[PascalDragon]

if you mean something like this

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure Setit(var X:Array of Byte);
2. begin
3.   SetLength(X,100);
4. end;                      
5.  

?
 No, it does not compile in 3.0.4 nor 3.2.0
 states it's a type mismatch.

 vary interesting ...

Cause that's an open array and not a dynamic array. They are two different things.

[engkin]

Cause that's an open array and not a dynamic array. They are two different things.

But they look identical 

[Kays]

Cause that's an open array and not a dynamic array. They are two different things.

But they look identical 

That’s terrible enough. I fell for that a couple times, too. Don’t ask me why TP7 introduced that syntax. Back then the ISO standards 7185 (level 1) and 10206 already defined conformant array parameters which look like this:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure foo(data: array[dataIndexMinimum..dataIndexMaximun: integer] of char);