Error - type identified not allowed here

[nugax]

I have a record, in which this below record member is a string type.
 I am trying to jsut display that record (which is held in another unit and referenced in uses.

Why cant I reference the string?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.  sFirstName := user_handler.userRecord.firstname;  

[nugax]

userRecord is a global record also.

[Thaddy]

Can you show the record declaration? This information is not enough. If I see the record structure I know the answer probably immediately.
A record on its own can not be a string. A member of a record can be a string.

[Handoko]

The OP said the error was "type identified not allowed here", then I can write code that show the same error:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. type
2.   TTest = record
3.     Name: string;
4.     Age: Integer;
5.   end;
6.  
7. var
8.   AString: string;
9.  
10. begin
11.   AString := TTest.Name;
12. end.

The code above will generate the same error as OP said. Looking at the code, then we know why.

[Thaddy]

The OP said the error was "type identified not allowed here", then I can write code that show the same error:
The code above will generate the same error as OP said. Looking at the code, then we know why.

Yes. But judging from the rest of his questions better to let him give the structure and then explain: this is only part of his problems...

[nugax]

Can you show the record declaration? This information is not enough. If I see the record structure I know the answer probably immediately.
A record on its own can not be a string. A member of a record can be a string.

Here you go -> the user handler unit

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. unit user_handler;
2.  
3. {$I direct.inc}
4.  
5. interface
6.  
7. uses
8.   Classes, SysUtils, crt;
9.  
10.  
11. //BBS Wide User Record Info
12. type
13.   userRecord = record
14.     firstname, lastname, handle, password, datejoined, email, affils, fromwhere, status, bbssysop, bbsname, lastcall, notes: string;
15.     seclevel: integer;
16.   end;
17.  
18. Var
19.  logged_in_user_record : userRecord;
20.  
21.  
22. procedure load_user_record(var sHandleGiven);
23.  
24.  
25. implementation
26.  
27. procedure load_user_record(var sHandleGiven);
28.  Begin
29.  
30.  
31.  end;
32.  
33.  
34. //Main Program Code
35. Begin
36.  
37.  
38. end.      

[Handoko]

You can't give a type to a variable. You haven't provided enough information, so let's see my example.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. type
2.   TTest = record
3.     Name: string;
4.     Age: Integer;
5.   end;
6.  
7. var
8.   UserData: TTest;
9.   AString: string;
10.  
11. begin
12.   ...
13.   ...
14.  
15.   // This is wrong
16.   AString := TTest.Name;
17.  
18.   // This is correct
19.   AString := UserData.Name;
20.  
21. end.

TTest is a type, UserData is a variable.

[Thaddy]

Nope. That's the part of part of his problems... He is using the wrong string type in a record and then tries to load/save: then you get pointers, not strings.

First look here: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/pascal/pascal_files_handling.htm

Then try this and complete it:
This should help him a  little, because this record can be load/saved from disk....(w/o jumping through hoops, of course it is possible):

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. {$ifdef fpc}{$mode delphi}{$H+}{$I-}{$endif}
2.  
3. //BBS Wide User Record Info
4. type
5.   TuserRecord = packed record
6.     firstname, lastname, handle, password, datejoined, email, affils, fromwhere, status, bbssysop, bbsname, lastcall, notes: string[255];// fixed length string...Now find out how much you actually use per individual string
7.     seclevel: integer;
8.   end;
9.  
10. Var
11.  logged_in_user_record : TuserRecord;
12.  
13. procedure load_user_record(var sHandleGiven);
14. Begin
15.  //
16. end;
17.  
18.  
19. //Main Program Code
20. Begin
21. end.  

   

That's lesson 1: don't store things in strings, store in native types. Or in a real database. Strings are for representation, not always for storage... Fixed length strings are OK, but take up more space and are limited to 255 chars.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.   TuserRecord = packed record
2.     firstname:string[20];
3.      lastname:string[50]
4.      handle:dword;
5.      password:array[0..39] of byte;
6.      datejoined:TDateTime;
7.     .....
8.   end;

Actually he should use something like SQlite for this task..... But that is far fetched at the moment.
Note the wiki is really, is really bad on file of record. I almost deleted everything, but instead I will bring more sense to it.

[nugax]

funny you say that, it is saved in sqlite, this is pulling the sqlite data and loading into variables to be used throughout the program.

[nugax]

You can't give a type to a variable. You haven't provided enough information, so let's see my example.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. type
2.   TTest = record
3.     Name: string;
4.     Age: Integer;
5.   end;
6.  
7. var
8.   UserData: TTest;
9.   AString: string;
10.  
11. begin
12.   ...
13.   ...
14.  
15.   // This is wrong
16.   AString := TTest.Name;
17.  
18.   // This is correct
19.   AString := UserData.Name;
20.  
21. end.

TTest is a type, UserData is a variable.

Isnt this exactly what I did, except i did it from another unit?
I pulled the data from sqlite and tried to place it into the record.

[Handoko]

Sorry, I didn't know you're talking about database. Database programming is not my expertise.

[jamie]

You can not assign a type to an Instant!

 you need to create a instant of that Record type and then get that from the instant..

Var
 MyInstant:TSomeRecord =........End;

Begin

 MyString := MyInstant.SomeInnerName;
etc

[nugax]

You can not assign a type to an Instant!

 you need to create a instant of that Record type and then get that from the instant..

Var
 MyInstant:TSomeRecord =........End;

Begin

 MyString := MyInstant.SomeInnerName;
etc

Didnt I do that? In this part of the above code?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. //BBS Wide User Record Info
2. type
3.   userRecord = record
4.     firstname, lastname, handle, password, datejoined, email, affils, fromwhere, status, bbssysop, bbsname, lastcall, notes: string;
5.     seclevel: integer;
6.   end;
7.  
8. Var
9.  logged_in_user_record : userRecord;

[Thaddy]

No... You are using the wrong kind of string.... A LONG string instead of a fixed length string.... I wrote string[255], which makes it work in a crude way... And gave you a pointer for some lessons...

[nugax]

No... You are using the wrong kind of string.... A LONG string instead of a fixed length string.... I wrote string[255], which makes it work in a crude way... And gave you a pointer for some lessons...

Whats the difference in a record and a packed record?