Date:         Thu, 4 Dec 2003 16:57:42 -0500
Reply-To:     Ian Whitlock <WHITLOI1@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Ian Whitlock <WHITLOI1@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: THANKS***PROBLEM USING RANUNI AND FLOORFUNCTIONTOCREATEFAKE D
              ATA***
Comments: To: Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain

Jack,

Was your decision to switch from SAS to Visual Basic arbitrary or necessary?
In what SAS functions are arguments passed by reference?  It seems to me
clear that Dale was considering only the "SAS like part" of other languages
when he made the statement.

Would you consider, your example VB code an illustration of a good
programming practice, or just a legal one?

I recently ran across a quote, "I try to be right no more than necessary." I
would change it to, "It is better to be reasonable than right."  I do not
think that is an arbitrary decision. :)

IanWhitlock@westat.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Hamilton [mailto:JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM]
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 4:36 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: THANKS***PROBLEM USING RANUNI AND FLOORFUNCTIONTOCREATEFAKE
DATA***


"Dale McLerran" <stringplayer_2@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

>I don't know of any language which allows variables passed in as
>arguments to a function to be updated.

This Visual Basic program:

=====
Sub outer()
   Dim x As Integer, y As Integer

   x = 1
   Debug.Print x

   y = Inner(x)

   Debug.Print x; y

End Sub

Function Inner(ByRef z As Integer) As Integer

   z = 3

   Inner = 2

End Function
=====

prints this:

=====
 1
 3  2
=====

I no longer have access to a PL/I compiler, but I'm pretty sure that it also
allows the modification of arguments passed by reference.

I'm also pretty sure, based on the documentation, that Perl allows the value
of a parameter passed by reference; Davis Cassell can confirm or deny that.




--
JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com
Manager, Technical Development
Metrics Department, First Health
West Sacramento, California USA