OpenOffice.org BASIC Guide - OpenOffice.org wiki

Scope and Life Span of Variables
Scope and Life Span of Variables
A variable in OpenOffice.org Basic has a limited life span and a limited scope from which it can be read and used
in other program fragments. The amount of time that a variable is retained, as well as where it can be accessed
from, depends on its specified location and type.
Local Variables
Variables that are declared in a function or a procedure are called local variables:
Sub Test
Dim MyInteger As Integer
' ...
End Sub
Local variables only remain valid as long as the function or the procedure is executing, and then are reset to zero.
Each time the function is called, the values generated previously are not available.
To keep the previous values, you must define the variable as Static:
Sub Test
Static MyInteger As Integer
' ...
End Sub
Note – VBA : Unlike VBA, OpenOffice.org Basic ensures that the name of a local variable is not used
simultaneously as a global and a private variable in the module header. When you port a VBA application to
OpenOffice.org Basic, you must change any duplicate variable names.
Public Domain Variables
Public domain variables are defined in the header section of a module by the keyword Dim. These variables are
available to all of the modules in their library:
Module A:
Dim A As Integer
Sub Test
Flip
Flop
End Sub
Sub Flip
A = A + 1
End Sub
Module B:
Sub Flop
A = A - 1
End Sub
The value of variable A is not changed by the Test function, but is increased by one in the Flip function and
decreased by one in the Flop function. Both of these changes to the variable are global.
You can also use the keyword Public instead of Dim to declare a public domain variable:
Public A As Integer
A public domain variable is only available so long as the associated macro is executing and then the variable is
reset.
20 OpenOffice.org 3.2 BASIC Guide · March 2010