How to create a 'Array of structs' in AMOS?

[thyslo]

I'm currently playing around with AMOS.

What I not made out yet is how to manage complex types.

E.g. a list of Points. Each point has an X and Y value and maybe some other properties, too.

How can an Array of points be created with AMOS?

[Samurai_Crow]

You have to do direct manipulation of an Amos bank with Peek, Poke, Deek, Doke, Leek and Loke.

[thyslo]

Oh I think I aim for something else. Only data - no gfx at this moment.

I try to achieve something that in C would be done like this:

struct MyPoint
{
  ULONG X;
  ULONG Y;
};

MyPoint listOfPoints[10];

So that in my program a list of 10 virtual points can be hold.

[roondar]

I don't think you can make something like structs in AMOS. I used to "emulate" arrays of structs by having a number of separate arrays containing the individual entries of the struct I wanted and using their name to group them.

So your example would become something like

DIM POINT_X(10),POINT_Y(10)

This is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it IMHO does help.

[thyslo]

This will do it, at least for objects with not too many properties:-) Tank you.

[Dan]

How about multi dimensional arrays ?

I'm emulating types with them like:

dim Point(10,2)

10 would be the number of points. (reference number)

I have to define where to save the coordinates.
e.g. 0=x , 1=y


So to access the 5th point x and y coordinate, i'm using :

PosX=Point(5,0)
PosY=Point(5,1)

To make it readable i have used extra variables (which may not change in the code) like:
T_X=0
T_Y=1

So the above code would be (a bit more readable too, well in case of debugging!):

PosX=Point(5,T_X)
PosY=Point(5,T_Y)



btw.

Oh I think I aim for something else. Only data - no gfx at this moment.

Peek and pokes (look the post#2), in amos, are used for Amos Banks.
With Amos Data bank you can allocate a desired amount of memory, in which you can (L)(D)Poke the
desired values.

[roondar]

Yeah, multidimensional arrays also work just fine

The reason I personally tended to do the many 1D arrays way myself was simply one of clarity and allowing multiple types to be mixed. You can instantly see what POINT_X and POINT_Y are referring to, in a multidimensional array you'd have to remember. Now obviously for something as simple as coordinates this is quite doable, but as structures become more complicated it's easier to start making errors when using multidimensional arrays.

But use whatever works for you

[Hungry Horace]

depends on the use though - multi-dimensional arrays are quite a big performance hit in AMOS if accessed inside your game loop. I prefer the PEEK/POKE method personally