[thelist] ASP: Retrieving values from dynamically constructed variable/const names

[Anthony Baratta]

Use a Dictionary Object.

set dictConstants = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
     dictConstants("FIELD_SIZE") = "10"
     dictConstants("FIELD_NAME") = "FirstName"

function getFieldAttr(sName)
     getFieldAttr = dictConstants("FIELD_" + sName)
end function

Jordan Trew wrote:
> Hi all
> 
> This is my first post to a web dev mailing list so let me know if I
> break etiquette rules etc..
> 
> I'm working on a site using ASP for server side stuff..
> 
> I need to find a way, if there is one, to retrieve ASP variable values
> in the following way:
> 
> Const FIELD_SIZE = 10
> Const FIELD_NAME = "FirstName"
> response.write ("<input type=text size=" & getFieldAttr("SIZE")& "
> name=" & getFieldAttr("SIZE") & ">Some name")
> 
> function getFieldAttr (attr)
>     getFieldAttr = XX code to retrieve the constant with name "FIELD_"
> followed by the value of attr XX
> end function
> 
> I realise this can be done using session variables, whose names can
> easily be constructed from concatenating strings, but I would prefer to
> avoid session variables in this case if possible. It might seem useless
> but I have a large number of constants with pretty long names to be
> referred to in this way and want to keep control of access to their
> values in the one function so that a statement like:
> 
> x = session ("APPLICATION_QUESTIONS")(partCounter, questionCounter,
> APPLICATION_QUESTIONS_ANSWER_TYPE)
> 
> can be reduced to:
> 
> x = CP_GetQuestionAttr (partCounter, questionCounter, ANSWER_TYPE) 
> 
> which is easier on eye/brain. It would also help in the case that I
> chose to change the naming convention for the const's. Am happy to
> incorporate js into this if necessary, since its a local site and only
> used by me. Thanks. Feel free to criticise any design choices if
> appropriate! I'm a relative beginner.
> 
> Cheers, Jordan in Melbourne
>