VBScipt: Call builtin functions shadowed by global variables - asp-classic

VBScript on ASP Classic contains an "int" function. (It rounds numbers towards -∞.) Suppose that some excessively "clever" coder has created a global variable named "int". Is there any way to get at the original function? I've tried all manner of workarounds with scoping and dodgy execs, but no dice. I suspect that it is impossible, but I'm hoping that someone will know more about it than I do.
EDIT: Thanks for the responses. Since y'all asked, the global variable, called "Int" (though unfortunately, vbscript is not case-sensitive), is a factory for a class similar to Java's Integer. The default property is essentially a one-arg constructor; i.e. "Int(42)" yields a new IntClass object holding 42. The default property of IntClass in turn simply returns the raw number.
The creator was trying to work around the lack of proper namespaces and static methods, and the solution's actually pretty seamless. Pass in an IntClass where an int is expected and it will automatically trigger the default property. I'm trying to patch the last remaining seam: that external code calling "int" will not round properly (because the constructor uses CLng).

Not that I know of, getref only works on custom functions not on build-ins. I would suggest renaming the custom'int' function and update all references to this custom ones. You can use the search function visual studio (express) or any other tool of your liking for this. Shouldn't be to much work.

I didn't think reserved words would be allowed for function names or variables.
Duncanson's right. Do the pain and rename int. Chances are there are worse things going on than just this.
(why would someone make a global variable named int... that's going to take some thinking)

Or you can use CInt instead on Int
response.write trim(cint(3.14)) + "<br>"
Wrong!!
See NobodyMan comments

Related

Is there a way to pass arguments in a custom Excel 4.0 function?

First of all, don't bother answering "just use a newer version of Excel", I must use 4.0 for what I want to do, thanks.
.
Now, the question is simple (even if the answer may not be):
You can pass arguments in proper Excel functions (ex: =OPEN("foo.xls";3), opening foo.xls and updating all references without a prompt).
You can make custom functions (well, you can name ranges to call with parenthesis, ex: =CUSTOM_FUNCTION() and it will call that function until it hits return).
You can return values to the original function to use with =RETURN(foo).
.
Is it possible to have a custom function with custom arguments that you can call without storing them in cells, ex: you call =ADD_TWO_NUMBERS(1;2) calling ADD_TWO_NUMBERS(X;Y) (or whatever it needs to be for it to work) then =RETURN(x+y) returns 3 (obviously a stupid example, but just to explain my case).
I've tried to search for it, but I haven't found anything so far.

Extending a Variable's Lifetime

To be fair, I cannot be entirely sure the title correctly describes the problem I am having, as it merely mirrors my current understanding of Ada as it is.
The Problem
I have a function:
function Make_Option (Title : String) return Access_Option is
O : aliased Option := (
Title_Len => Title'Length,
Title => Title);
begin -- Make_Option
return O'Unrestricted_Access;
end Make_Option;
This function is supposed to create a new menu option for the user, that may in turn be inserted into a menu (one that you might see in a terminal-based environment). You are all probably sighing, as quite evidently, the O variable would be deallocated at the end of this function (from my current understanding). As such, using the Unrestricted_Access here is just plain stupidity, but it mirrors the result of what it is I am trying to accomplish (as this code indeed does compile successfully).
The Access_Option is defined as following:
type Access_Option is access all Option;
The idea is that with an access to the option, which in turn is a discriminated record, is that we can store it within an array-like structure (as the object itself varies in size).
Beyond doubt, it would be nice if we could instead use the Access attribute for this, as the compiler would then make sure the lifetime is long enough of the O variable we are referencing, but as the lifetime as a matter of fact only exists til the end of the Make_Option function, we are presented with the following:
non-local pointer cannot point to local object
What I am then asking, is: how would I go about having a function to create Access_Options for me? Is such a thing even possible, or am I doing it all wrong? To clarify, what I am trying to do is create a neat way for filling an array with references to discriminated records, that I can then dereference and use.
Thought Process
I personally have not tried too many things, more than think about solutions that may be plausible for the problem. And, frankly, rather than going crazy of working makeshift solutions, it would be nice to have a solution that works for large-scale applications too, without messing up the code base to bad.
Would you perhaps have some sort of object queue to handle it? Does Ada even deallocate resources automatically in the first place? Gah. I am confused.
Would it, in fact, be possible to somehow place the O variable outside of the scope for deallocation to then manually deallocate it later?
Given the example you show above a much simpler approach is to simply make an array of Unbounded_String:
with Ada.Strings.Unbounded; use Ada.Strings.Unbounded;
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_Io;
procedure Str_Arrays is
type Arr is array(1..10) of Unbounded_String;
A : Arr;
begin
for S of A loop
S := To_Unbounded_String("Hello World!");
end loop;
for S of A loop
Put_Line(To_String(S));
end loop;
end Str_arrays;
Don't try that.
There are two alternative options:
1) Use Ada.Containers.Indefinite_Vectors instead of a plain array.
2) Give your record discriminant a default value. Then you can store it in a plain array.
You seem to be reinventing the bounded string. Alternatives include
Using an instantiation of Ada.Strings.Bounded.Generic_Bounded_Length
Using Ada.Strings.Unbounded
Using an indefinite container (Ada.Containers.Indefinite_*) to hold type String

Ada Function Parameter as Access Type or Not

I am refactoring some code originally written using access types, but not yet tested. I found access types to be troublesome in Ada because they can only refer to dynamically allocated items, and referring to items defined at compile time is apparently not allowed. (This is Ada83.)
But now I come to a function like this one:
function Get_Next(stateInfo : State_Info_Access_Type) return integer;
I know that I can easily pass parameter "contents" of an access type rather than the access pointer itself, so I am considering writing this as
function Get_Next(stateInfoPtr : State_Info_Type) return integer;
where State_Info_Type is the type that State_Info_Access_Type refers to.
With this refactor, for all intents and purposes I think I'm still really passing what amounts to an implicit pointer back to the contents (using the .all) syntax).
I want to refactor and test starting with the lowest level functions, working my way up the call chains. My goal is to push the access types out of the code as I go.
Am I understanding this correctly or am I missing something?
I think original author(s), and possibly OP are missing a point, that is, how Ada parameter modes work.
To quote #T.E.D
Every Ada compiler I know of under the hood passes objects larger than fit in a machine register by reference. It is the compiler, not the details of your parameter passing mechanisim, that enforces not writing data back out of the routine.
Ada does this automatically, and leaves the parameter modes as a way of describing the flow of information (Its NOT the C style reference / value conundrum). See the useful wikibook.
What worries me is that the code you have inherited looks like the author has used the explicit access parameter type as a way of getting functions to have side effects (usually considered a bad thing in Ada - World).
My recommendation is to change your functions to:
function Get_Next(State_Info : in State_Info_Type) return Integer;
and see if the compiler tells you if you are trying to modify State_Info. If so, you may need to change your functions to procedures like this:
procedure Get_Next(State_Info : in out State_Info_Type;
Result : out Integer);
This explicitly shows the flow of information without needing to know the register size or the size of State_Info_Type.
As an aside Ada 2012 Will allow you to have functions that have in out parameters.
To quote #T.E.D,
Every Ada compiler I know of under the hood passes objects larger than fit in a machine register by reference. It is the compiler, not the details of your parameter passing mechanisim, that enforces not writing data back out of the routine.
Since this code hasn’t yet been tested, I think you are completely right to rework what looks like code written with a C mindset. But, you oughtn’t to mention pointers at all; you suggested
function Get_Next(stateInfoPtr : State_Info_Type) return integer;
but this would be better as
function Get_Next(stateInfo : State_Info_Type) return integer;
or even (IMO) as
function Get_Next(State_Info : State_Info_Type) return Integer;
to use more standard Ada styling! My editor (Emacs, but GPS can do this too) will change state_info into State_Info on the fly.
As an afterthought, you might be able to get rid of State_Info_Type_Pointer altogether. You mention .all, so I guess you’ve got
SITP : State_Info_Type_Pointer := new State_Info_Type;
... set up components
Next := Get_Next (SITP.all);
but what about
SIT : State_Info_Type;
... set up components
Next := Get_Next (SIT);
I wouldn't recommend this, but you can get pointers to variables in Ada 83 by using 'Address.
You can then use overlays (again this is all Ada83 stuff) to achieve access...
function something(int_address : Address) return integer
is
x : integer;
for x'address use int_address;
begin
-- play with x as you will.

How can I tell the Closure Compiler not to rename an inner function using SIMPLE_OPTIMIZATIONS?

How can I tell the Closure Compiler not to rename an inner function? E.g., given this code:
function aMeaninglessName() {
function someMeaningfulName() {
}
return someMeaningfulName;
}
...I'm fine with Closure renaming the outer function (I actively want it to, to save space), but I want the function name someMeaningfulName left alone (so that the name shown in call stacks for it is "someMeaningfulName", not "a" or whatever). This despite the fact that the code calling it will be doing so via the reference returned by the factory function, not by the name in the code. E.g., this is purely for debugging support.
Note that I want the function to have that actual name, not be anonymous and assigned to some property using that name, so for instance this is not a duplicate of this other question.
This somewhat obscure use case doesn't seem to be covered by either the externs or exports functionality. (I was kind of hoping there'd be some annotation I could throw at it.) But I'm no Closure Compiler guru, I'm hoping some of you are. Naturally, if there's just no way to do that, that's an acceptable answer.
(The use case is a library that creates functions in response to calls into it. I want to provide a version of the library that's been pre-compressed by Closure with SIMPLE_OPTIMIZATIONS, but if someone is using that copy of the library with their own uncompressed code and single-stepping into the function in a debugger [or other similar operations], I want them to see the meaningful name. I could get around it with eval, or manually edit the compressed result [in fact, the context is sufficiently unique I could throw a sed script at it], but that's awkward and frankly takes us into "not worth bothering" territory, hence looking for a simple, low-maintenance way.)
There is no simple way to do this. You would have to create a custom subclass of the CodingConvention class to indicate that your methods are "local" externs (support for this was added to handle the Prototype library). It is possible that InlineVariables, InlineFunctions, or RemoveUsedVariables will still try to remove the name and would also need to be fixed up.
Another approach is to use the source maps to remap the stack traces to the original source.
read the following section
https://developers.google.com/closure/compiler/docs/api-tutorial3#export
Two options basically, use object['functionName'] = obj.functionName or the better way
use exportSymbol and exportProperty both on the goog object, here is the docs link for that
http://closure-library.googlecode.com/svn/docs/closure_goog_base.js.html
-- edit
ah, i see now, my first answer is not so great for you. The compiler has some interesting flags, the one which might interest you is DEBUG, which you can pass variables into the compiler which will allow you to drop some debugging annotations in via logging or just a string which does nothing since you are using simple mode.
so if you are using closure you can debug against a development version which is just a page built with dependiencies resolved. we also the drop the following in our code
if(DEBUG){
logger.info('pack.age.info.prototype.func');
}

Flex Compile Time Constants - Timestamp

I'm trying to use Flex Compile Time Constants to include the date and time the SWF was built (source control revision/timestamp such as SVN:Keywords is not sufficient for our needs, we need to know the actual build time, not the commit time).
I've tried using actionscript (like the documentation suggests you should be able to):
-define+=COMPILE::Timestamp,"new Date()"
But this gives "The initializer for a configuration value must be a compile time constant"
I've tried getting it to drop to shell and use the date command (using various single and double quote configurations), for example:
-define+=COMPILE::Timestamp,`date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S`
I can only get it to work with simple strings and simple constant expressions (eg, I can do 4-2 and it'll be 2 at runtime. But I can't get it to do anything whose value wouldn't be explicitly known at the time I declare the define.
Has anyone had any luck with something like this?
I had the same problem and ended up using this blog post as a starting point. Worked really well for me. Just had to update a few bits of the class to flex 4. Pulled the date right out of the complied swf.
The key to your problem is most likely in the following statement by Adobe referring to Compile Time Constants:
The constant can be a Boolean, String, or Number, or an expression that can be evaluated in ActionScript at compile time.
I would assume that the Timestamp is not available at compile time.
However, you may try using a string instead (something like this)
public function GetUnixTime():String{
var myDate:Date = new Date();
var unixTime:Number = Math.round(myDate.getTime()/1000);
return unixTime.toString();
}
Another thought is that you could get the information from the compiled file.
Hope this helps.
After extensive research, I've concluded that this simply isn't doable.
If you don't use FlexBuilder to do your builds you can do it quite easily.
I do something like this with FlexMojos in Maven.
In the relevant config section:
<definesDeclaration>
<property><name>BUILD::buildVersion</name><value>"${project.version}"</value></property>
<property><name>BUILD::buildRevision</name><value>"${buildNumber}"</value></property>
<property><name>BUILD::buildTimestamp</name><value>"${timestamp}"</value></property>
</definesDeclaration>
FlexBuilder pretty much sucks as a build environment for reasons like the one you mention

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