OpenOffice.org BASIC Guide.pdf - OpenOffice.org wiki

Arrays 19
Multi- Dimensional Data Fields
In addition to single dimensional data fields, OpenOffice.org Basic also supports work with
multi-dimensional data fields. The corresponding dimensions are separated from one
another by commas. The example
Dim MyIntArray(5, 5) As Integer
defines an integer array with two dimensions, each with 6 indexes (can be addressed
through the indexes 0 to 5). The entire array can record a total of 6 x 6 = 36 integer values.
You can define hundreds of dimensions in OpenOffice.org Basic Arrays; however, the
amount of available memory limits the number of dimensions you can have.
Dynamic Changes in the Dimensions of Data Fields
The previous examples are based on data fields of a specified dimension. You can also
define arrays in which the dimension of the data fields dynamically changes. For example,
you can define an array to contain all of the words in a text that begin with the letter A. As
the number of these words is initially unknown, you need to be able to subsequently change
the field limits. To do this in OpenOffice.org Basic, use the following call:
ReDim MyArray(10)
Unlike VBA, where you can only dimension dynamic arrays by using Dim MyArray(), OpenOffice.org
Basic lets you change both static and dynamic arrays using ReDim.
The following example changes the dimension of the initial array so that it can record 11 or
21 values:
Dim MyArray(4) As Integer ' Declaration with five elements
' ...
ReDim MyArray(10) As Integer ' Increase to 11 elements
' ...
ReDim MyArray(20) As Integer ' Increase to 21 elements
When you reset the dimensions of an array, you can use any of the options outlined in the
previous sections. This includes declaring multi-dimensional data fields and specifying
explicit start and end values. When the dimensions of the data field are changed, all
contents are lost. If you want to keep the original values, use the Preserve command:
Dim MyArray(10) As Integer ' Defining the initial
' dimensions
' ...