DQ_New ( initialContents )
Creates a double-ended queue (DeQue)
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Stephen Hanna Stephen J. Hanna Consulting http://www.sjhanna.com |
Function definition: (Copy & paste into FileMaker's Edit Custom Function window)
This is a "constructor" function for a package that implements a double-ended queue (DeQue, sometimes pronounced "deck"). DeQues can be used to implement Stacks (LIFO), Queues (FIFO), or more general data structures. Five operations are defined on DeQues: Push and Pop, which add and remove items from the front (top) of the DeQue (thus causing it to behave like a stack); Put and Pull, which add and remove items from the end (bottom) of the DeQue (so Push and Pull are the basic FIFO queue operators); and Count, which returns the number of items in the DeQue.
These functions implement DeQues as global variables, but you don't need to know this or the names of the created variables. DQ_New returns the name of the variable it creates, and all the other manipulation functions accept this name as their first (or only) parameter. Thus, a typical usage sequence would be:
Set Variable [ "$myStack" ; DQ_New ( "apple" ) ) ]
Set Variable [ "$dummy" ; DQ_Push ( $myStack ; "banana" ) ]
Set Variable [ "$dummy" ; DQ_Put ( $myStack ; "cherry" ) ]
Set Variable [ "$myCount" ; DQ_Count ( $myStack ) ] // $myCount = 3
Set Variable [ "$fruit" ; DQ_Pull ( $myStack ) ] // $fruit = "cherry"
Set Variable [ "$fruit" ; DQ_Pop ( $myStack ) ] // $fruit = "banana"
Set Variable [ "$myCount" ; DQ_Count ( $myStack ) ] // $myCount = 1
Comments
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Bruce Robertson Mar 28, 2013 |
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| Not one of your function definitions is is valid. For instance you describe a function DQ_New ( initialContents ) But in fact the function definition does not contain a parameter "initialContents" |
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Stephen Hanna, Cupertino Mar 28, 2013 |
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| All of the functions are valid (at least to FileMaker), although I grant that there is a discrepancy between the names I used for the parameters in the description and the names used in the functions themselves. The parameter names used in the function are arbitrary, as long as they conform to FileMaker variable-naming rules. However, I have changed the name of the parameter in DQ_New() to match the description. | ||
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Bruce Robertson Mar 29, 2013 |
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| You should do the same thing (correct the param names) for the other functions. I also note that trying to use the data viewer to experiment with any of these functions results in a rapid accumulation of new instances of global variables. |
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Stephen Hanna, Cupertino Mar 29, 2013 |
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| On the comment about global variables: Yes, that's true, because that's how the routines store the data structures. In normal use, you'd create one new structure, and hence one global variable, for each data structure you want to use. You'd then use the other functions (Push and Pop if you want to treat it as a stack, Push and Pull if you want a queue) to manipulate those structures. The idea is that you don't have to know what variables are being created behind the scenes -- just store the name that DQ_New returns to you in your own variable (or field), and pass that to the subsequent routines. [Note, by the way, that there are a total of six routines, only four of which have been posted so far: Pop and Pull are still awaiting approval.] | ||
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Darrel, Portland Jun 12, 2018 |
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| You list DQ_Pull and DQ_Pop which are a great complement to the set but I don't see them available. Can you add them to the LIST so that they also can be downloaded? |
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