Subject Re: REFERRING TO A VARIABEL TO REP A VALUE From Ken Mayer <dbase@nospam.goldenstag.net> Date Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:28:34 -0800 Newsgroups dbase.getting-started On 11/13/2023 3:05 PM, ED FURCHE wrote: > ED FURCHE Wrote: > >> Ken Mayer Wrote: >> >>> On 11/12/2023 9:17 AM, ED FURCHE wrote: >>>> I HAVE USED THIS BEFORE BUT DONT REMEMBER HOW. >>>> >>>> I WANT TO REFER TO A VARIABLE IN A COMMAND >>>> >>>> EXAMPLE  CTR=1 >>>> USE C:\BACKUP\CTR\CHECK.DBF TO ADDRESS USE C:\BACKUP\1\CHECK >> >> I TRIED THIS  DIDNT WORK.   CTR=1 >> USE C:\BACKUP\&CTR\CASEY.DBF ALIAS OLDFILE >>>> >>> >>> You would do this in a couple ways, the easiest is to build the command >>> as a string, and insert the variable into it: >>> >>> cCmd = [USE C:\BACKUP\]+CTR+[CTR\CHECK.DBF TO ADDRESS USE C:\BACKUP\1\CHECK] >>> >>> Note that by using the square brackets as delimiters you don't have any >>> confusion with quotes ... >>> >>> To execute the command (use macro expansion): >>> >>> &cCmd. >>> >>> Another way is: >>> >>> USE C:\BACKUP\&CTR.\CHECK.DBF TO ADDRESS USE C:\BACKUP\1\CHECK >>> >>> But that gets a bit hard to read, and it's easy to make mistakes. Also >>> if the value of your variable includes spaces, it can be a problem, >>> you'd have to deal delimiters ... >>> >>> Ken >>> >>> >>> -- >>> *Ken Mayer* >>> Ken's dBASE Page: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase >>> The dUFLP: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/index.htm#duflp >>> dBASE Books: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/Books/dBASEBooks.htm >>> dBASE Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/Tutorial/00_Preface.htm >>> dBASE Web Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/WebTutorial/00_Menu.htm >>> dBASE DOS to Windows Tutorial: >>> http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/DtoWTutorial/00_Menu.htm >>> >> I TRIED THIS... > > CTR=1 > USE C:\BACKUP\+&CTR.\CHECK.DBF > THEN THIS... > > > CTR=1 > USE C:\BACKUP\+&CTR\CHECK.DBF  WIDTHOUT THE PERIOD  (I FELT THAT YOUR PERIOD WAS A MISTAKE) Leave out the PLUS SIGN, and put the period back in, it wasn't a mistake. The period is the terminator character for macro expansion, it starts with the ampersand and ends with the period. USE C:\BACKUP\&CTR.\CHECK.DBF Try that. But as Mervyn points out, you should really use the option to build a whole string as a command (put it in a variable) and then execute the variable as a macro -- two separate commands shown below: cCmd = [USE C:\BACKUP\]+CTR+[CTR\CHECK.DBF TO ADDRESS USE C:\BACKUP\1\CHECK] &cCmd. Ken -- *Ken Mayer* Ken's dBASE Page: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase The dUFLP: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/index.htm#duflp dBASE Books: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/Books/dBASEBooks.htm dBASE Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/Tutorial/00_Preface.htm dBASE Web Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/WebTutorial/00_Menu.htm dBASE DOS to Windows Tutorial: http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/DtoWTutorial/00_Menu.htm