REXX Tips & Tricks, Version 2.80

0.9b (c) 1995 Peter Childs

Using variables for the stem

Variable substitution for compound variables works only for the tail (that 
is the part beginning after the first period). 
Example: 

 

  stemName = "MYSTEM"
  TailName = "MYTAIL"

  stemName.Test = "1234"
  stemName.TailName = "5678"

  say "MYSTEM.TEST       = " || MYSTEM.TEST
  say "stemName.TEST     = " || stemName.TEST

  say ""

  say "stemName.MYTAIL   = " || stemName.MYTAIL
  say "stemName.TailName = " || stemName.TailName

/* prints:
  MYSTEM.TEST       = MYSTEM.TEST
  stemName.TEST     = 1234

  stemName.MYTAIL   = 567
  stemName.TailName = 567
*/

To get around this, you can use the function <VALUE. 
Example: 

 
  stemName = "MYSTEM"
  TailName = "MYTAIL"

  call value stemName || ".TEST", "1234"
  stemName.TailName = "5678"

  say "MYSTEM.TEST       = " || MYSTEM.TEST
  say "stemName.TEST     = " || stemName.TEST

  say ""

  say "stemName.MYTAIL   = " || stemName.MYTAIL
  say "stemName.TailName = " || stemName.TailName

/* prints:
  MYSTEM.TEST       = 1234
  stemName.TEST     = STEMNAME.TEST

  stemName.MYTAIL   = 5678
  stemName.TailName = 5678
*/

 (see Using variables for the tail for the conditions of variable 
substitution for tails)   

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