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CitectVBA Reference Guide

Citect Corporation makes no representations or warranties with respect to this manual. Citect reserves the right to revise this publication at any time without incurring an obligation to notify any person of the revision. Some product names used in this manual are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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140 views

CitectVBA Reference Guide

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Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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CitectVBA Reference Guide

Citect Pty. Limited

3 Fitzsimons Lane
PO Box 174
Pymble NSW 2073
Australia

Telephone: 61 2 9496 7300

Fax: 61 2 9496 7399
DISCLAIMER
Citect Corporation makes no representations or warranties with respect to this manual and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, expressly limits
its liability for breach of any warranty that may be implied to the replacement of this manual with another. Further, Citect Corporation reserves the right
to revise this publication at any time without incurring an obligation to notify any person of the revision.

TRADEMARKS
Citect Pty. Limited has made every effort to supply trademark information about company names, products and services mentioned in this manual.
Trademarks shown below were derived from various sources.

Citect, CitectHMI, and CitectSCADA are registered trademarks of Citect Corporation.

IBM, IBM PC and IBM PC AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

MS-DOS, Windows, Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows for Workgroups, LAN Manager, Microsoft Windows XP, Excel
and MSMAIL are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

DigiBoard, PC/Xi and Com/Xi are trademarks of DigiBoard.

Novell, Netware and Netware Lite are registered trademarks of Novell Inc.

dBASE is a trademark of Borland Inc.

GENERAL NOTICE
Some product names used in this manual are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

July 2004 edition for CitectSCADA Version 6.0

Manual Revision Version 6.0.

Printed in Australia.
Contents

Chapter 1 Introducing CitectVBA

Chapter 2 Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

CitectVBA Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Cicode Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Scope of CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Procedural (local) level scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Modular level scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Global level scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CitectVBA Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Header information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
CitectVBA Line Continuation Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Option Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Option Explicit statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Option Compare statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Option Base statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
CitectVBA Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Declaration of constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Intrinsic constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Variable declaration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Variable initialization values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Arrays of Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Variable Array Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Array Subscripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Fixed Size Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Multi-Dimensional Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dynamic Size Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Variant Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Variant Data Types and Coercion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Numbers in Variants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Numeric Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
iv Contents

Exponential Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Floating Point Calculation Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rounding Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rounding down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rounding up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Arithmetic rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Banker's rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Random rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Alternate rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Date Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Date Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Formatting Date Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Period/Era . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Date and Time Data Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Date Data Type Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Date-values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Time-values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Dates in Databases Using Different Calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Assignment Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Arithmetical (Math) Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Relational Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Logical Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Operator Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
String Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
String Concatenation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Control Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
GoTo statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Do statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
While statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
For statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
If statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Select case statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
End statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Exit statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
OnError statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Stop statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
With statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Subroutines and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Contents v

Subroutines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
DLLs and APIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Accessing Functions in DLLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Declare statement structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Declare - Function Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Declare - Lib Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Declare - Alias Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Passing variables Byref and Byval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Passing Arguments to DLL Functions from CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
OLE Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
OLE terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
OLE Linking and Embedding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
OLE Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
OLE automation objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Declaration of OLE automation objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Assigning references to OLE automation objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Using OLE automation objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Accessing the object model of OLE automation server applications. . . . . . . 63
Understanding object models in OLE automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
What are objects and collections? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
What is a property? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
What is a method? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Returning an object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Using the Microsoft Word object model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
OLE automation example using the Microsoft Word object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Using the Microsoft Excel object model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Deleting OLE automation objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
File Input/Output with CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter 3 Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA

Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Using CitectVBA in CitectSCADA Command or Expression fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Accessing ActiveX Objects with CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Multithread Considerations with CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Calling CitectVBA from Cicode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Calling Cicode from CitectVBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Chapter 4 Using the CitectVBA Test Project

Creating the Test Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Opening the Test Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Setting up Test Project Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
vi Contents

Setting up the Test Project Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Adding a Variable Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Adding a Graphics Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Saving Your Graphics Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Opening the Graphics Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Chapter 5 Function and Statement Categories

Array Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Conditional Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Conversion Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
ASCII character code conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Date conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Date and time formatting/conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Number and string conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Declarations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Date and Time Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
File I/O Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Math/Trigonometry Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Numeric functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Trigonometric functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Miscellaneous Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Procedural Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
String Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Chapter 6 CitectVBA Function Reference

Abs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Asc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Atn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Beep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
CDate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
CDbl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
ChDir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
ChDrive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Chr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
CicodeCallOpen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
CicodeCallReturn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
CInt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
CLng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Const . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Cos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
CreateObject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Contents vii

CSng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
CStr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
CurDir, CurDir$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
CVar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Date statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
DateSerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
DateValue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Declare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Dim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Dir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Do Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
End Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
End Sub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
EOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Erase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Exp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
FileCopy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
FileLen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
FreeFile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Get # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
GetAttr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Goto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Hex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
If . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
InStr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Int . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
IsDate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
IsEmpty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
IsNull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
IsNumeric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Kill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Lbound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
LCase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Left, Left$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Len . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Line Input # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
viii Contents

Loc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
LOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
LTrim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Mid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Minute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
MkDir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Nothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Oct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
OnError . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Option Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Option Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Option Explicit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Print (function) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Print # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Put # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Randomize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
ReDim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Rem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
RmDir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Rnd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
RTrim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Second . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Seek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
SendKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Sgn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Sqrt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Static . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Str . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
StrComp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Sub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Time (statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Contents ix

Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
TimeSerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
TimeValue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Ubound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
UCase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Val . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
VarType . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
VbCallOpen function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
VbCallRun function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
VbCallReturn function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
WeekDay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
While…Wend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
With . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Write # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Appendix A ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings 205

Index 213
x Contents
Chapter 1: Introducing CitectVBA

CitectVBA is a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and VBScript-compatible

Basic scripting language. CitectSCADA has embedded support for CitectVBA.
CitectVBA has the following features:
CitectVBA code is multithreaded and fully scheduled within the
CitectSCADA Kernel.
CitectVBA uses the same well proven engine that Cicode uses and can be
used wherever Cicode is used.
CitectVBA has a small footprint of under 400K.
CitectVBA code is directly callable from CitectSCADA Command and
Expression fields.
CitectVBA code is callable from Cicode and visa-versa.
CitectVBA code provides native support for ActiveX objects, CitectSCADA
Variable Tags and Alarm Tags.
CitectVBA makes ActiveX object manipulating easier. It allows direct
interaction with the object models from 3rd party applications such as Word,
Excel, etc.
Note: You may notice slight differences between CitectVBA and VBA in
other applications; this is normal as each application has a different object
model.
The Cicode Editor has been upgraded to fully support CitectVBA. New features
of the editor include:
Integrated Cicode and CitectVBA compiler
Integrated Cicode and CitectVBA source code editor
Integrated Cicode and CitectVBA debugger
See Also Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA
2 Chapter 1: Introducing CitectVBA
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA
Language Basics

This chapter describes the basics of the CitectVBA programming language.

CitectVBA Files
CitectVBA code scripts can be saved to file, can include comments, statements,
various representations of numbers, can handle many different data types, and
can have multiple and nested control structures. However, CitectVBA is
primarily provided with CitectSCADA to interact with ActiveX objects.
CitectVBA files are ASCII text files stored in ANSI format with a BAS extension
(filename.BAS), and are known as file modules.
CitectVBA file modules can be viewed and edited in any text editor program.
They can be used in CitectSCADA, but must be saved as 'text with linebreaks'
with a '.BAS' file extension.

Cicode Editor
The Cicode Editor is CitectVBA aware and designed to help you create, edit, test,
and debug CitectVBA file modules in your CitectSCADA project.
The Cicode Editor has features suitable for use with CitectVBA file modules
including:
Ability to create, open, edit, and save CitectVBA file modules
Customizable coloration of CitectVBA code syntax structure
Recognition of predefined keywords with tooltip prompting and auto-
completion functionality
Fully integrated debugging of CitectVBA file modules
Separate VB Watch window for viewing runtime CitectVBA variable values
A sample CitectVBA file module named Sample.Bas is included in the
User\Example subfolder on the drive on which you installed CitectSCADA.
This module explains most of the CitectVBA functionality. The separate file
CitectVBATest.bas is installed to the CitectSCADA bin folder and contains the
example CitectVBA Test Project code for use with the example project tutorial
guide.
4 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

CitectVBA file modules will never be compiled into standalone Windows

executable files; instead, they're included with the compiled CitectSCADA. As a
result, they don't require a Main procedure to be declared. Therefore, CitectVBA
file modules are structured to contain only their header information, modular
constant and variable declarations, then procedures (subroutines, and
functions).
CitectVBA file modules are automatically included with a CitectSCADA project
if they are stored in the same file folder as your project. When saving a
CitectVBA file module to disk, save it to your project folder.
All files with a BAS extension in your project folder appear in the CitectVBA
Files folder of your project in Citect Explorer. To launch the Cicode Editor,
double-click the CitectVBA file you want to edit in Citect Explorer.

Scope of CitectVBA
The scope of an object determines which portions of your code scripts can use
that object.
Note: The use of Global, Public, and Private keywords has no effect on scope in
CitectVBA.

Procedural (local) level Variables and constants declared (using the Dim, Static, or Const statements)
scope within a CitectVBA procedure (subroutine or function) have local scope to only
that within the procedure. This means that procedural level variables and
constants cannot be referenced (accessed and used) from anywhere outside of
that procedure.
The Global, Public, and Private keywords are not supported by CitectVBA at the
procedural level and should not be used within a procedure.
Procedural level variables declared using the Dim statement do not retain their
assigned values when dereferenced. Procedural level variables declared using
the Static statement, however, do retain their assigned values between
references, even after that procedure moves out of scope.

Modular level scope Constants declared (using the Const statement) and variables declared (using
the Static statement) at the modular level (outside any procedure) in a
CitectVBA file have modular scope to all procedures within that same
CitectVBA module (file). This means that modular constants and static variables
can only be referenced from a procedure located within the same file module,
and cannot be referenced from outside of that file module. This has no effect in
CitectVBA, even if declared using the Global keyword.
Modular level constants and static variables retain their assigned values for the
entire runtime of the project.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 5

Global level scope Variables declared (using the Dim, Global, or Public statements) at the modular
level (outside any procedure) in a CitectVBA module (file), have global scope
within the CitectSCADA project. This means that modular CitectVBA variables
(except statics) can be referenced from both inside and outside of their file
module.
Global level variables can be used directly within CitectSCADA command or
expression fields.
Procedures (subroutines or functions) declared within a CitectVBA file module,
like global variables, have global scope within a CitectSCADA project. They can
be referenced or called from any CitectVBA module, as well as from any
CitectSCADA command or expression field.
Equally important, all CitectSCADA variable tags, alarm tags, and ActiveX
objects are accessible to all CitectVBA file modules (and their procedures) within
that project, in the same manner as they have always been accessible to project
Cicode files. For information about referencing CitectSCADA project tags using
CitectVBA, see Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA.
Global level variables will also retain their assigned values between subsequent
references, behaving somewhat similarly to the values stored in CitectSCADA
tags. In this regard, Global and Public statements are redundant at the
modular (global) level in CitectVBA, as they perform the exact same duty as the
Dim statement.
See Also Multithread Considerations with CitectVBA
CitectVBA Files

CitectVBA Statements
A statement in CitectVBA is an unbroken sequence of syntactically correct code
script containing at least one CitectVBA keyword instruction. A single statement
in CitectVBA is one complete segment of code script that instructs CitectSCADA
to do something.
In CitectVBA there is no statement terminator. As in other BASIC programming
languages, the end of the line containing the statement is treated as the
statement terminator by default.
Most often, a statement consists of a single line of CitectVBA script. However,
more than one statement can be placed on one line of CitectVBA script, provided
each statement is separated by a colon character (:); for example:
Pump234.AddPoint( 25, 100) : Pump234.AddPoint( 0, 75)
is equivalent in CitectVBA to:
Pump234.AddPoint( 25, 100)
Pump234.AddPoint( 0, 75)
6 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Using complex multi-statement lines of CitectVBA script is not recommended in

CitectSCADA. Multithreading should be considered when using more than one
statement per line in CitectVBA. For details, see Multithread Considerations
with CitectVBA.

Comments
Comments are non-executed sections of code that are ignored by the CitectVBA
compiler. Comments allow programmers to describe the purpose of a section of
code to facilitate code maintenance.
As in other BASIC programming languages, both the apostrophe character ( ' ),
and the keyword REM are recognized as the start of a comment in CitectVBA. All
characters following an apostrophe or the keyword REM are ignored by the
CitectVBA compiler until it reaches the end of the line. Line continuation
characters do not work inside comments.
REM, like all other keywords and most names in CitectVBA, is not case
sensitive.
' This whole line is a comment
rem This whole line is a comment
Rem This whole line is a comment
REM This whole line is a comment
Both types of comments can be used on their own separate line, or the
apostrophe character can be used to start a comment at the end of a statement on
the same line as a statement.
Pump234.AddPoint( 25, 100) ' Add point to pump 234
Everything placed on the same line after an apostrophe is treated by CitectVBA
as a comment. If you want to place a comment on the same line as a statement,
the comment must be placed last after all statements on that line. Comments
cannot be placed between multiple statements on the same line.
Not every line of code requires a comment. In fact, CitectVBA should contain
understandable naming structures and be laid out in such a manner as to make
comments unnecessary. However, where a complex function, equation, or logic
structure is not readily understandable by viewing the code, it is good practice
to include a pertinent comment to make the code more understandable when
viewed in isolation.
See Also Comments

Header information You should include header information with every file you create or edit. Data
such as the file name, author name, creation date, update date, editing history,
and the like should be included to form the header information. Each function or
subroutine should include a brief comment describing the purpose or function
of the procedure.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 7

CitectVBA Line Continuation Character

The underscore is the line continuation character in CitectVBA. There must be a
space before and after the line continuation character. Line continuation
characters do not work inside comments.
The following sample code statements are treated identically in CitectVBA:
Pump234.AddPoint _
( 25, 100)
Pump234.AddPoint( 25, 100)
8 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Strings cannot be broken between lines using the line-break character in

CitectVBA, unless the strings are properly enclosed within double quotes on
each line, and appended together as per the following example:
Dim strSample as String
strSample = "This sentence on the first line in my code. " _
& "This sentence is on the second line in my code. " _
& "Yet all would display on the same line " _
& "if the display were wide enough."

Naming
Function, subroutine, variable, constant, and label naming in CitectVBA must
begin with a letter, be no longer than 40 characters, and cannot be a reserved
word. Names can only contain the letters 'A' to 'Z' and 'a' to 'z', the underscore '_'
character, and the digits '0' to '9'. Names cannot contain the space character. You
cannot use the name of a CitectVBA predefined function as a name. For a list of
predefined functions, see CitectVBA Function Reference.
Function, subroutine, variable, constant, and label object names (once declared),
become a keyword in CitectVBA. Like most keywords in CitectVBA, these
names are not case sensitive. For example, all of the following examples are
treated identically in CitectVBA:
pump234.addpoint(25, 100)
Pump234.AddPoint(25, 100)
PUMP234.ADDPOINT(25, 100)
When naming in CitectVBA, make the name an appropriately descriptive term
that is easily recognizable. For example:
X.addpoint(25, 100)
doesn't make as much sense as:
Pump234.AddPoint(25, 100)
Combining upper- and lowercase letters between words in the name is an
acceptable common programming practice, and aids in readability.
Identically named objects cannot be declared more than once per CitectSCADA
project, even though they may exist in different CitectVBA code file modules.
However, if an object declared locally within a procedure has the same name as
an object declared in a module, CitectVBA will reference the local procedure
scope object instead of the modular scope object.
See Also Scope of CitectVBA
CitectVBA Files
Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 9

Option Statements
CitectVBA supports the use of file scope Option statements which determine the
default behaviour of some CitectVBA functions. For instance, the Option
Explicit statement causes the CitectVBA compiler to produce compile errors
whenever it encounters the use of previously undeclared variables. The Option
Compare statement sets the default comparison method for string comparisons.
The Option Base statement sets the default base number for CitectVBA variable
arrays to either zero or one.
You must declare all option statements in CitectVBA at the beginning of your
CitectVBA code files.
See Also Option Explicit statement
Option Compare statement
Option Base statement
CitectVBA Function Reference

Option Explicit As in other BASIC programming languages, CitectVBA supports the declaration
statement of variables both implicitly and explicitly. An unfortunate consequence of
implicit variable declaration is the possible misspelling of the variable name in
subsequent code writing, with unreliable program behaviour and unpredictable
consequences.
To prevent implicit declaration, and to foster good (consistent and reliable)
programming standards, you should use the option explicit statement at the
beginning of all your CitectVBA files:
Option Explicit
This causes the CitectVBA compiler to produce a compile error whenever it
encounters an undeclared variable. This can be useful in locating and identifying
variable name typing errors in your CitectVBA code at compile time, thus
trapping and preventing runtime errors caused by such mistakes.
See Also Option Explicit statement
Variable declaration
Option Statements

Option Compare The Option Compare statement determines how strings are compared within a
statement CitectVBA file, and like other Option statements in CitectVBA, should be
declared at the beginning of your CitectVBA code files.
When strings are compared using CitectVBA functions such as StrComp() or
InStr(), CitectVBA determines whether they contain equivalent characters and
how they differ if they do not match.
Note: When comparing strings, CitectVBA compares the ANSI values of each
character in the strings. For example, the character capital 'A' has the ANSI value
10 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

of 65, and the character lowercase 'a' has the ANSI value of 97. For a listing of
ANSI character values, see ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings.
You can use the Option Compare statement to specify the default case-
sensitivity behavior for CitectVBA functions when making string comparisons.
The Option Compare statement in CitectVBA has two settings:
Option Compare Binary: String comparisons are case-sensitive, and this is
the default string-comparison setting.
Option Compare Text: String comparisons are case-insensitive.
See Also Strings
Option Statements

Option Base statement The Option Base statement determines the default base number for the indexing
of variable arrays created within a CitectVBA file, and like other Option
statements in CitectVBA, should be declared at the beginning of your CitectVBA
code files.
There are two settings for the Option Base statement in CitectVBA:
Option Base 0: Variable arrays are indexed from number zero, and this is
the default setting.
Option Base 1: Variable arrays are indexed from number one.
For an example of using the Option Base statement, see Fixed Size Arrays
See Also Arrays of Variables
Option Statements
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 11

CitectVBA Data Types

CitectVBA uses ten predefined data types:
Variable Char Type Declaration Size Value Range
Byte Dim bytVar As Byte 1 byte (8 bits) 0 to 255

Boolean Dim binVar As Boolean 2 bytes True or False

String $ Dim strVar As String 10 bytes + 1 byte per 0 to 65,535 characters

character
Integer % Dim intVar As Integer 2 bytes -32,768 to 32,767
Long Integer & Dim lngVar As Long 4 bytes -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
Single precision ! Dim sglVar As Single 4 bytes 3.4E-38 to 3.4E+38
Double Precision # Dim dblVar As Double 8 bytes 1.79D-308 to 1.79D+308
Variant Dim vntVar As Any 16 bytes Same ranges as data types
stored
Object Dim objVar As Object 4 bytes Any OLE Object reference
Date/Time Dim dtmVar As Date 8 bytes Jan 1, 100 to Dec 31, 9999

Note: CitectVBA does not support user-defined data types.

See Also Numeric Data Types
Numbers
Variables
CitectVBA Function Reference

Constants
A constant in CitectVBA refers to a value that does not change (remains
constant), such as the numeric value Pi (3.14159). You can create a constant in
CitectVBA named Pi, assign it the numeric value once in your code, then refer to
it by using the constant name, as shown here:
'modular level constant declaration
Const Pi = 3.1415926
Function CircleArea(Byval Radius)
' calculate and return area of circle
' using radius passed in as argument
CircleArea = Pi * (Radius * Radius)
End Function
Function CircleCircumference(Byval Radius)
' calculate and return circumference of circle
' using radius passed in as argument
CircleCicumference = Pi * Radius * 2
End Function
12 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

These CitectVBA functions would be called from a CitectSCADA command or

expression field like this:
CiVBA
TestTag_1 = CircleArea(TestTag_1)
or
CiVBA
TestTag_1 = CircleCircumference(TestTag_1)
See Also Declaration of constants
Passing variables Byref and Byval
Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA
Your CitectVBA code may contain frequently recurring constant values like Pi in
the above example, or may contain numbers that are difficult to remember or
have no obvious meaning. You can make your CitectVBA code much easier to
read and maintain using constants to represent those values.
Unlike variables, constants can't be changed once your CitectSCADA project is
compiled and running. Constants are either symbolic or intrinsic:
Symbolic or user-defined constants are declared by using the const
statement.
Intrinsic constants are provided in object libraries of ActiveX objects and you
cannot use them in CitectVBA: they cause compile errors as there is no way
to provide early-binding to the object type library.
See Also Intrinsic constants
Scope of CitectVBA
CitectVBA Function Reference

Declaration of CitectVBA constants can only be declared and referenced within CitectVBA file
constants modules. CitectVBA modular constants have modular scope and cannot be
referenced (accessed and used) from outside their CitectVBA module (file).
Note: CitectVBA constants cannot be used directly in CitectSCADA command
or expression fields.
Once declared within a CitectVBA module, CitectVBA constants can be
referenced and used in any procedure within the same code module. A constant
declared outside a procedure has modular scope to all procedures within that
same CitectVBA module (file). See Scope of CitectVBA. Constants declared in a
Sub or Function procedure have local scope only within that procedure.
CitectVBA constants are declared with the Const statement in the following
format.
Const <ConstantName> [ As <DataType> ] = <expression>
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 13

where:
Const is the required constant declaration statement BASIC keyword

<ConstantName> represents the required name of the constant being

declared
<DataType> represents the optional CitectVBA data type of the constant
being declared
<expression> represents the required value being assigned to the constant
Note: Do not include the brackets from the explanation in the actual code
statement.
If no data type is declared, CitectVBA automatically assigns one of the following
data types to the constant:
Long (if it is a long or integer).
Double (if a decimal place is present).
String (if it contains quote marks).
Constant statements can only be declared and assigned using simple
expressions. Constants cannot be assigned values from variables, user-defined
functions, intrinsic CitectVBA functions (such as Chr), or from any expression
that involves an operator. A constant must be defined before it can be used.
Examples
' Correct declaration examples
Const Seven = 7
' long assignment
Const Pi = 3.14159
' double assignment
Const Lab = "Laboratory"
' string assignment
' Incorrect declaration examples. Note that the following
declarations demonstrate incorrect assignments because each
contains an operator
Const conPi = 4 * Atn(1)
' will cause a CitectVBA compile error
Const conDegToRad = (conPi / 180)
' will cause a CitectVBA compile error
For an example of using constants in CitectVBA, see Constants.
Note: The use of Global, Public, and Private keywords has no effect on scope in
CitectVBA.
14 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

<VariableName> represents the required name of the variable being

declared (dimensioned)
<DataType> represents the optional CitectVBA data type of the variable
being declared
Note: In the variable declaration statement:
Every placeholder shown inside arrow brackets ( <placeholder> ) should
be replaced in any actual code with the value of the item that it describes.
The arrow brackets and the word they contain should not be included in the
statement, and are shown here only for your information.
Statements shown between square brackets ( [ ] ) are optional. The square
brackets should not be included in the statement, and are shown here only
for your information.
If no data type is declared, the data type is Variant by default. To declare a
variable other than a Variant, the variable declaration must be immediately
followed by As <datatype> (where <datatype> represents one of the 10 data
types), or appended by a type declaration character such as a $, %, &, !, or # for
string, integer, long, single, or double data types respectively. For example:
Dim intVar As Integer
Dim dblVar As Double
Dim vntVar' as variant by default
Dim strName$, Age%' multiple declarations on one line
Be aware that multiple declarations in the same statement require individual
data type assignment if you want them be other than the variant type. In the
following example, only the first variable is not a variant. For example:
Dim strName As String, vntAge, vntAddress
The same statement with data type assignment for every variable would look
like the following example:
Dim strName As String, intAge As Integer, strAddress As String
See Also CitectVBA Data Types
Variable initialization values
Constants
Variant Declaration
Arrays of Variables
16 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

CitectVBA Function Reference

Variable initialization CitectVBA variables are initialized when first declared. Numeric variables are
values initialized to 0 (zero). Variable-length strings are initialized to zero-length
strings (""). Fixed length strings are filled with zeros. Variant variables are
initialized to Empty.
To be sure of the contents of a variable, a valid value should be assigned to it
before it is used as a operand in a CitectVBA statement. For details, see
Assignment Operator.
Note: Only implicitly declared variables can be assigned an initial value in the
declaration. However, as explicit declaration is preferred practice in CitectVBA,
explicit variables must be declared before they can be assigned a value.
Every call to a procedure will reinitialize the value of all objects (except static
variables) declared within that procedure.
Note: In CitectVBA, use a static variable, a modular variable, or a CitectSCADA
tag to store variable values between procedures. For details, see Scope of
CitectVBA.
Objects (including variables) declared in CitectVBA are only initialized when
referenced by a running piece of code, and are removed from memory when all
references are closed.
In the CitectSCADA multithreaded environment, CitectVBA remains active in
memory only so long as a procedure is being processed. At the completion of a
CitectVBA procedure, all objects no longer referenced by that procedure are
removed from memory. For details, see Multithread Considerations with
CitectVBA.
See Also CitectVBA Data Types
Variable initialization values
Constants
Variant Declaration
Arrays of Variables

Arrays of Variables
Arrays of variables allow you to group like variables together, somewhat similar
to the grouping of like items in fields of a database. An array is an ordered group
of variables of the same name, containing values of the same data type.
Individual member elements of the array are indentified by a separate index
number. Arrays in CitectVBA start their indexing sequence by default at zero.
This default base value can be changed in a CitectVBA file module by using the
option base statement.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 17

CitectVBA supports single and multi-dimension arrays of variables. CitectVBA

creates single dimension arrays by default. Multi-dimension arrays must be
specifically declared.
CitectVBA allocates memory space for each element of the array. To minimize
the amount of memory used storing arrays, and to minimize the time required to
access array data, arrays should not be declared any larger than required.
All elements in an array must be of the same data type. CitectVBA supports
arrays of bytes, booleans, longs, integers, singles, doubles, strings, and variants.
For details about CitectVBA data types, see CitectVBA Data Types.
Arrays declared in a sub or function procedure have local scope only within that
procedure. An array declared outside a procedure has modular (global) scope to
all procedures within the project.
Note: CitectVBA arrays cannot be used directly in CitectSCADA command or
expression fields. Also, CitectVBA does not support user-defined data types.
Arrays declared (using the dim statement within procedures,) do not retain their
values between procedure calls in CitectVBA.
See Also Fixed Size Arrays
Multi-Dimensional Arrays
Dynamic Size Arrays

Variable Array Declaration

Arrays of variables are declared within a CitectVBA file module, function, or
subroutine, using the dim statement with parentheses positioned after the array
name, in the following syntax:
Dim <ArrayName>( [<Subscripts>] ) [As <DataType>]
where:
dim is the required variable declaration statement BASIC keyword.

<ArrayName> represents the required name of the array being declared

(dimensioned).
( ) are the required parentheses to hold the array subscript range
(dimensions).
<Subscripts> represents the optional subscript ranges and dimensions for
the array.
As is the optional As statement keyword declaring the array data type.

<DataType> represents the optional CitectVBA data type declaration for the
array.
18 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

In the variable array declaration statement:

Every placeholder shown inside arrow brackets ( <placeholder> ) should
be replaced in any actual code with the value of the item that it describes.
The arrow brackets and the word they contain should not be included in the
statement, and are shown here only for your information.
Statements shown between square brackets ( [ ] ) are optional. The square
brackets should not be included in the statement, and are shown here only
for your information.
See Also Fixed Size Arrays
Multi-Dimensional Arrays
Dynamic Size Arrays
Array Subscripts
Arrays of Variables
Dim

Array Subscripts
Arrays can be declared with default or defined boundaries known as bounds.
Unless specifically defined in the array declaration statement, default lower
bound settings are used. The default lower bound is zero, unless set by the
module option base statement setting.
CitectVBA does not have an arbitrary upper bound on array dimensions. The
upper bound of the array dimension must be defined before the array can be
used. All bound values must be whole integers.
Subscripts are contained within one set of parentheses positioned immediately
after the array name in the array declaration statement.
Subscripts are used to specify the bounds of each dimension of an array when
the array is declared. If a single value is used, for instance (5), this represents the
upper bound for that dimension of the array. If a range is specified, for instance
(1 to 9), this specifies both the lower and upper bounds for that dimension of the
array. If more than one subscript is used, for instance ( 5, 1 To 9), each subscript
must be separated by a comma, and each subscript represents a separate
dimension of the array.
The syntax of an array subscript range consists of a numeric value range
separated by the to clause:
(<LowerBound> To <UpperBound>)
where:
( ) are the required parentheses to hold an array subscript range
(dimensions).
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 19

<LowerBound> represents the lower bound of the subscript range for the
array dimension.
To is the clause linking the lower and upper bounds of the subscript range.

<UpperBound> represents the upper bound of the subscript range for the
array dimension.
See Also Fixed Size Arrays
Multi-Dimensional Arrays
Dynamic Size Arrays
Arrays of Variables
Dim

Fixed Size Arrays

To declare a fixed size array, the array name must be followed by the upper
bound subscript enclosed within parentheses. The upper bound must be an
integer.
Dim ArrayName(10) As Integer
Dim Sum(20) As Double
Unless specifically defined in the array declaration statement, default lower
bound settings are used. The default lower bound is zero, unless set by the
module option base statement setting. For details, see Array Subscripts.
The first declaration in the previous example creates an array with 11 elements,
with index numbers running from 0 to 10. The second creates an array with 21
elements (if base 0). One way to specify the lower bound is to provide it
explicitly (as an integer in the range -32,768 to 32,767) using the To clause within
the subscript:
Dim intCounters (1 To 13) As Integer
Dim strSums (100 To 126) As String
In the preceding example, the index numbers of intCounters run from 1–13, and
the index numbers of strSums run from 100–126.
Note: An array in CitectVBA must be declared before it can be referenced.
Loops often provide an efficient way to manipulate arrays. For example, the
following for loop initializes all elements in the array to 5:
Dim int As IntegerDim Counters(1 To 20) As Integer
For int = 1 To 20
Counters(int) = 5
Next int
Arrays declared (using the dim statement within procedures) do not retain their
values between procedure calls in CitectVBA.
20 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Fixed Size Arrays

Dynamic Size Arrays

To declare a dynamic sized array, the array must first be declared using the dim
statement with an empty pair of parentheses following the array name. For
example:
Dim ArrayName( ) As Integer
Once declared as dynamic in this manner, the array can then ONLY be resized
within a function or subroutine using the redim statement.
ReDim ArrayName(20) As Integer
Note: You cannot resize an array whose size was predefined in its inital
declaration.
In the above examples, the first declaration creates an array with 0 elements. The
second recreates the array to contain 21 elements, with index numbers running
from 0 to 20, unless the option base statement has been set previously in the code
module (file), in which case the array will contain 20 elements with index
numbering ranging from 1 to 21.
Unless specifically defined in the array declaration statement, default lower
bound settings are used. The default lower bound is zero, unless set by the
module option base statement setting. For more information on bounds, see
“Array Subscripts in CitectVBA.”
Redim erases all values the array may have held. To preserve the contents of the
array when resizing, precede the Redim statement with the preserve keyword.
Preserve ReDim ArrayName(20) As Integer
Redimensioning an array to a smaller value, will erase any values it may have
contained in the removed portions.
Arrays declared (using the dim statement within procedures,) do not retain their
values between procedure calls in CitectVBA.
See Also Multi-Dimensional Arrays
Arrays of Variables
Array Subscripts
Option Base statement
Fixed Size Arrays

Variant Declaration
As is the case with Visual Basic, when a variable is introduced in CitectVBA, it is
not necessary to declare it first (see Option Explicit statement for an exception to
this rule). When a variable is used but not declared, it is implicitly created as a
22 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

variant data type. Variants can also be declared explicitly using As Variant. Both
of the following example declarations as treated identically in CitectVBA:
Dim vntVar' implicit variant declaration
Dim vntVar As Variant ' explicit variant declaration
The IsEmpty( ) function can be used to find out if a variant variable has been
previously assigned a value.

Variant Data Types and Coercion

The variant data type is capable of storing numbers, strings, dates, and times.
When using a variant, you do not have to explicitly convert a variable from one
data type to another. This data type conversion is handled automatically, and is
termed data type coercion.
' declares variant variable
Dim vntVar
' assign numeric 10 to variant
vntVar = 10
' add numeric 8 to numeric variant value
vntVar = vntVar + 8
' convert variant to string value and concatenates strings
vntVar = "F" & vntVar
' print string "F18"
print vntVar
Numeric characters inside quotes ("567") will be stored and treated as a string in
a variant data type variable. If this string (containing numeric characters) is
subsequently used in a numeric operation, it will be coerced into a numeric data
type and treated as a number in the operation. Conversely, numeric characters
stored as a number data type in a variant variable, and subsequently used in an
operation with a string, will be coerced into a string data type, and treated as a
string value in the operation.
Note: To determine the type of a variant variable, use the function VarType( ),
which returns a value that corresponds to the explicit data types. See VarType
for return values.

Numbers in Variants
When storing numbers in variant variables, the data type used is always the
most compact type possible. For example, if you first assign a whole number to
the variant it will be stored as an integer or long. If you assign a number with a
fractional component, it is stored as a single or double.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 23

For doing numeric operations on a variant variable, it is sometimes necessary to

determine if the value stored is a valid numeric, thus avoiding an error. This can
be done with the IsNumeric( ) function.
See Also CitectVBA Data Types
Variables
Constants
Strings
Numbers
CitectVBA Function Reference

Numbers
CitectVBA supports three representations of numbers: decimal, octal, and
hexadecimal.
To indicate the use of octal (base 8) or hexadecimal (base 16) numbers, prefix the
number with &O or &H respectively. If no prefix is included with a number, it is
treated as decimal (base 10). For example:
Dim vntVar as Variant
vntVar = 12345' assign decimal value
vntVar = &o12345' assign octal value
vntVar = &h12345' assign hexadecimal value
Most numbers used in CitectVBA formulas are decimal numbers. Decimal
numbers consist of integral values (known as integers) positioned to the left of
the decimal point, and fractional values (known as fractions) positioned to the
right of the decimal point. If the decimal point is omitted, the number is treated
as an integer (whole number with no fraction).
When using numbers in CitectVBA, consideration must be given to the data type
of the variables that hold and store the numbers, as well as to the behaviour of
CitectVBA when dealing with numbers. For details, see “Numeric Data Types in
CitectVBA,” “Floating Point Calculation Rules in CitectVBA,” and “Rounding
Numbers in CitectVBA.”
See Also Date Handling
Variant Declaration
Strings
Variables
Constants
CitectVBA Data Types
CitectVBA Function Reference
24 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Numeric Data Types

Numbers are expressed in CitectVBA in decimal format by default, and can be
stored in variables of different numeric data types—integer, long, single, double,
and variant—providing different levels of numeric accuracy.
Integer (Integer data type) variables can only store whole number values (no
decimal or fraction values) within the range –32,000 to +32,000. If you use a
number outside this range, the long integer (Long data type) can store whole
number values in the range -2.1 million to +2.1 million.
Floating point numbers contain both integer and fractional values with a
floating decimal point. CitectVBA provides both single precision (Single
data type) and Double Precision (Double data type) variables for handling
floating-point numbers.
Single-precision variables can store floating-point numbers within the
range of approximately 3.4E-38 to 3.4E+38, with 7 significant digits and
occupying 4 bytes of memory.
Double-precision variables can store floating-point numbers within the
range of approximately 1.79D-308 to 1.79D+308, with 15 significant digits
and occupying 8 bytes of memory.
For an explanation of exponential notation, see Exponential Notation.
The principal differences between single and double data types, are the
significance they can represent, the storage they require, and their range. Double
data type variables have a smaller range, but hold more precision and occupy
more memory than single data type variables.
If precision is less of a concern than storage, consider using single for floating-
point variables. Conversely, if precision is the most important criterion, use
double.
Variant (variant data type) variables in CitectVBA can store numbers by storing
them as integer, long, single, or double data types within the variant structure.
See Variant Declaration.
See Also Numbers

Exponential Notation
CitectVBA can handle very large numbers, up to a value of 1.7976931486232
raised to the power of 308, (1.7 308). To represent very large numbers such as
these, exponential notation is used.
Commonly, exponential notation uses the letter 'E' in the number, followed by
the sign of the number (+ or -), and then the exponential value (power) of the
number. CitectVBA uses the letter 'E' for Single data type exponential values,
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 25

and the letter 'D' for Double data type exponential values. The maximum size
number for a double precision data type, as quoted above, would be represented
using exponential notation as 1.7976931486232D+308, or abbreviated to
1.79D+308.
You can use exponential notation in your CitectVBA calculations, so long as the
data types of all the variables in the calculation are capable of storing floating
point values; i.e.: Single, Double or Variant.
For details about precision, accuracy, and rounding issues with using floating
point variables in CitectVBA, see “Numeric Data Types in CitectVBA,” “Floating
Point Calculation Rules in CitectVBA,” and “Rounding Numbers in CitectVBA.”
See Also Numbers

Floating Point Calculation Rules

Often precision, rounding, and accuracy in floating-point calculations can
generate unexpected results. To avoid this situation, follow these rules:
1 In a calculation involving both single and double precision, the result will
not usually be any more accurate than single precision. If double precision is
required, be certain all terms in the calculation, including constants, are
specified in double precision.
2 Never assume that a simple numeric value is accurately represented in the
computer. Most floating-point values can't be precisely represented as a
finite binary value. For example .1 is .0001100110011... in binary (it repeats
forever), so it can't be represented with complete accuracy on a computer
using binary arithmetic, which includes all PCs.
3 Never assume that the result is accurate to the last decimal place. There are
always small differences between the "true" answer and what can be
calculated with the finite precision of any floating point processing unit.
4 Never compare two floating-point values to see if they are equal or not-
equal. This is a corollary to rule three. There are almost always going to be
small differences between numbers that "should" be equal. Instead, always
check to see if the numbers are nearly equal. That is, check to see if the
difference between them is very small or insignificant.
See Also Numbers
Date Handling

Rounding Numbers
Rounding occurs when you convert a number of greater precision into a number
of lesser precision. For instance, when converting a floating-point number
26 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

(single precision, double precision, or variant data types) into an integer or long
data type number. The possible ways of numeric rounding are discussed below.

Rounding down The simplest form of rounding is truncation. Any digits after the desired
precision are ignored and dropped. The CitectVBA Fix() function is an
example of truncation. For example, Fix(3.5) is 3, and Fix(-3.5) is -3.
The Int() function rounds down to the highest integer less than the value. Both
Int() and Fix() act the same way with positive numbers (truncating), but give
different results for negative numbers: Int(-3.5) gives -4.
The Fix() function is an example of symmetric rounding because it affects the
magnitude (absolute value) of positive and negative numbers in the same way.
The Int() function is an example of asymmetric rounding because it affects the
magnitude of positive and negative numbers differently.

Rounding up CitectVBA does not have a specific round-up function. However, for negative
numbers, both Fix() and Int() can be used to round upward, in different
ways:
Fix() rounds towards 0 (up in the absolute sense, but down in terms of
absolute magnitude). For example: Fix(-3.5) is -3.5.
Int() rounds away from 0 (up in terms of absolute magnitude, but down in
the absolute sense). For example: Int(-3.5) is -4.

Arithmetic rounding When continually rounding in one direction (down or up), the resulting number
is not necessarily the closest to the original number. For example, if you round
1.9 down to 1, the difference is a lot larger than if you round it up to 2. It is easy
to see that numbers from 1.6 to 2.4 should be rounded to 2. However, what about
1.5, which is equidistant between 1 and 2? By mathematical convention, the half-
way number is rounded up.
To implement rounding half-way numbers in a symmetric fashion, -.5 is
rounded down to -1, or in an asymmetric fashion, where -.5 is rounded up to 0.
CitectVBA does not have a function for arithmetic rounding.

Banker's rounding When you add rounded values together, always rounding .5 in the same
direction results in a bias that grows with the more numbers you add together.
One way to minimize the bias is with banker's rounding.
Banker's rounding rounds .5 up sometimes and down sometimes. The
convention is to round to the nearest even number, so that both 1.5 and 2.5
round to 2, and 3.5 and 4.5 both round to 4. Banker's rounding is symmetric.
In CitectVBA, the CByte(), CInt(), CLng(), CCur(), and Round() numeric
functions perform banker's rounding.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 27

Random rounding Even banker's rounding can bias totals. You can take an extra step to remove bias
by rounding .5 up or down in a truly random fashion. This way, even if the data
is deliberately biased, bias might be minimized. However, using random
rounding with randomly distributed data might result in a larger bias than
banker's rounding. Random rounding could result in two different totals on the
same data.
CitectVBA does not have a function for random rounding.

Alternate rounding Alternate rounding is rounding between .5 up and .5 down on successive calls.
CitectVBA does not have a function for alternate rounding.
See Also Numbers

Date Handling
CitectVBA has several pre-defined date and time functions that return date/time
values. There are three functions enabling you to determine the current date and
time set in Windows. The Now function, Date function, and Time function check
your system clock and return all or part of the current setting.
To retrieve the date portion of a date/time value, use the pre-defined DateValue
function. This function takes in either a string or a date value and returns only
the date portion.
Using DateValue, you can compare the date portion of a date variable to a
specific date value, like this:
If DateValue(dtmSomeDate) = #5/14/70# Then
' You know the date portion of dtmSomeDate is 5/14/70
End If
If you need just the time portion of a date variable, use the TimeValue function.
Using this function, you could write code that checks the time portion of a date
variable against a particular time, like this:
If TimeValue(dtmSomeDate) > #1:00 PM# Then
' You know the date variable contained a date portion
' with a time after 1:00 PM.
End If
You can perform arithmetic or mathematics (math) on date/time values because
CitectVBA stores dates internally as serial values. Adding or subtracting
integers adds or subtracts days, whilst adding or subtracting fractions adds or
subtracts time. Therefore, adding 20 to a date value in CitectVBA adds 20 days,
while subtracting 1/24 subtracts one hour. For example, to get tomorrow's date,
you could just add 1 to today's date, like this:
dtmTomorrow = Date() + 1
28 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Date is a built-in CitectVBA function that returns the date portion (the integer
part) of the current date and time retrieved from the Windows operating system.
Adding 1 to that value returns a date that represents the next day.
The same mechanism works for subtracting two dates. Although CitectVBA
supplies the DateDiff function for finding the interval spanned by two date/
time values, if you just need to know the number of days between the two dates,
you can simply subtract one from the other.
See Also Date and Time Functions
Date Constants
Formatting Date Values
CitectVBA Function Reference

Date Constants
You can use date/time literals in CitectVBA code by enclosing them with the
hash sign (#), in the same way you enclose string literals with double quotation
marks (""). This is commonly known as declaring date constants.
For example, #2/6/10# represents the Australian date value of 2nd June, 2010 if
the short date setting for the locale was set to d/MM/yyyy. The same date
constant would represent the American date value of February 6, 2010 if the
short date setting for the locale was set to MM/d/yyyy. See “Formatting Date
Values in CitectVBA”.
Note: The system locale settings are determined using Regional Settings in
Windows Control Panel.
Similarly, you can compare a date/time value with a complete date/time literal:
If SomeDate > #3/6/99 1:20pm# Then
If you don’t include a time in a date/time literal, CitectVBA sets the time part of
the value to midnight (the start of the day). If you don’t include a date in a date/
time literal, CitectVBA sets the date part of the value to December 30, 1899.
CitectVBA accepts a wide variety of date and time formats in literals. These are
all valid date/time values:
SomeDate = #3-6-93 13:20#
SomeDate = #March 27, 1993 1:20am#
SomeDate = #Apr-2-93#
SomeDate = #4 April 1993#
In the same way that you can use the IsNumeric function to determine if a
Variant variable contains a value that can be considered a valid numeric value,
you can use the IsDate function to determine if a variant contains a value that
can be considered a valid date/time value. You can then use the CDate function
to convert the value into a date/time value.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 29

For example, the following code tests the Text property of a text box with IsDate.
If the property contains text that can be considered a valid date, CitectVBA
converts the text into a date and computes the days left until the end of the year:
Dim SomeDate, daysleft
If IsDate(Text1.Text) Then
SomeDate = CDate(Text1.Text)
daysleft = DateSerial(Year(SomeDate) + _
1, 1, 1) - SomeDate
Text2.Text = daysleft & " days left in the year."
Else
MsgBox Text1.Text & " is not a valid date."
End If
See Also Date and Time Functions
Formatting Date Values
CitectVBA Function Reference
Date Handling

Formatting Date Values

Date values in CitectVBA can be formatted and displayed as strings containing
any combination of the following lists of values, all of which are case-sensitive.
Most CitectVBA date and time functions are locale-aware and recognise the
order for day, month, and year according to the short date format in the Regional
Settings section of Windows Control Panel.
Note: Always use long date format whenever possible. For reliable behavior,
enter and display dates in an unambiguous format. For example, dates in short
date format might be misinterpreted in queries if the year or the day of the
month are 12 or less (for example, 3/11/10). Dates in medium date format display
only the first few characters of the month name, which can create ambiguity or
an undesirable appearance.

Text All strings should be surrounded by single quotes, and any single quotes should
be entered as four single quotes in a row:
Value Example
it''''s it's
'Today is 'M/dd/yy' and it''''s 'h:mm Today is 01/22/99 and it's 8:18

Day The day can be displayed in one of four formats using a lowercase "d.
Value Meaning Example
d Day of the month as digits without 5
leading zeros for single digit days.
30 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Value Meaning Example

dd Day of the month as digits with leading 05
zeros for single digit days.
ddd Day of the week as a three letter Mon
abbreviation.
dddd Day of the week as its full name. Monday

Month The month can be displayed in one of four formats using capital "M". The letter
"M" must be uppercase to distinguish months from minutes.
Value Meaning Example
M Month as digits without leading zeros for 1
single digit months.
MM Month as digits with leading zeros for 01
single digit months.
MMM Month as a three letter abbreviation. Jan
MMMM Month as its full name. January

Year The year can be displayed in one of three formats using lowercase "y"..
Value Meaning Example
y Year represented only by the last digit, if 9
the year is less than 10. Years greater
than 10 will be given the value of yy.
yy Year represented only by the last two 09
digits.
yyyy Year represented by the full 4 digits. 1909

Period/Era The period/era string can be displayed in a single format using the letter "g". The
letter "g" must be lowercase. If you include the gg in a date string that does not
have any associated Era string, the gg is ignored.
Value Meaning
(Null) Gregorian dates are used. Does nothing if Gregorian is value of
iCalendarType
gg Period/era string. This is used by Windows to calculate the year when an
optional calendar is selected. See iCalendarType for optional Calendars.

Time The time can be displayed in one of many formats using the letter "h" or "H" to
denote hours, the letter "m" to denote minutes, the letter "s" to denote seconds
and the letter "t" to denote the time marker. The lowercase "h" denotes the 12
hour clock and uppercase "H" denotes the 24 hour clock. The "m" must be
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 31

lowercase to denote minutes as opposed to Months. The "s" for seconds and "t"
for the time marker string must also be lowercase.
Value Meaning Example
h Hours without leading zeros for single digit hours (12 hour clock). 1
hh Hours with leading zeros for single digit hours (12 hour clock). 01
H Hours without leading zeros for single digit hours (24 hour clock). 1
HH Hours with leading zeros for single digit hours (24 hour clock). 01
m Minutes without leading zeros for single digit minutes. 9
mm Minutes with leading zeros for single digit minutes. 09
s Seconds without leading zeros for single digit seconds. 5
ss Seconds with leading zeros for single digit seconds. 05
t One character time marker string. This will be the first letter of the values in A
the AM symbol or PM symbol boxes in Regional Options
tt Multi-character time marker string. This will be values in the AM symbol or AM
PM symbol boxes in Regional Options
See Also Date Handling
Date Constants
Date and Time Data Constraints

Date and Time Data Constraints

CitectVBA has several constraints on date and time values based upon the
Gregorian Calendar:
The value of the month field must be between 1 and 12, inclusive.
The value of the day field must be in the range from 1 through the number
of days in the month. The number of days in the month is determined from
the values of the year and months fields and can be 28, 29, 30, or 31. (The
number of days in the month can also depend on whether it is a leap year.)
The value of the hour field must be between 0 and 23, inclusive.
The value of the minute field must be between 0 and 59, inclusive.
For the trailing seconds field of interval data types, the value of the seconds
field must be between 0 and 59.9(n), inclusive, where n is the number of
digits in the fractional seconds precision.
For the trailing seconds field of datetime data types, the value of the seconds
field must be between 0 and 61.9(n), inclusive, where n specifies the number
of "9" digits and the value of n is the fractional seconds precision. (The range
of seconds allows as many as two leap seconds to maintain synchronisation
of sidereal time.)
See Also Date Handling
Date Constants
32 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Formatting Date Values

Date Data Type Structure
Dates in Databases Using Different Calendars

Date Data Type Structure

The date data type structure in CitectVBA is a junction of two very different
methods of data storage. It is formed from the serial concatenation of a date-
value followed by a time-value, separated by a floating point, and stored in an 8-
byte floating-point date data type value.
The integer (whole) portion of the value represents the number of days
elapsed since December 30, 1899.
The remainder (fractional) portion of the value represents the elapsed
portion of the day since midnight.
The integer (date-value) portion (to the left of the floating point) and the
remainder (time-value) portion (to the right of the floating point) must be
handled differently as they are structured very differently. CitectVBA has a
number of pre-defined date and time functions to convert between the internal
floating-point date data type format and visibly recognisable dates and times.
Note: Dates in CitectVBA are based upon the Gregorian Calendar.
For example, the date and time of 5/22/97 at 3:00 p.m. would be stored in
CitectVBA as 35572.625 representing the 35572 days since 12/30/1899, and 3:00
p.m. as 625/1000 of a full day.
Note: Don’t confuse Date data types used in CitectVBA with date and time
values used in Windows, DLLs, CitectSCADA, or in Cicode. For instance,
CitectSCADA stores time/date-related variables as a single integer representing
the number of seconds since 01/01/1970.

Date-values
A date-value in CitectVBA is a count of the number of days from December 30,
1899. December 31, 1899 has the date-value of 1, and the 1st January 1900 is 2.
December 30, 1899 has the date value of zero. Negative date-values represent
dates prior to December 30, 1899.
A date-value in CitectVBA can actually range from January 1, 0100, to December
31, 9999 inclusive, which is a integer value ranging from -657434 up to +2958465
respectively. Using values outside this range will cause errors in CitectVBA.
The pre-defined CitectVBA Year, Month, and Day functions calculate and return
the appropriate year, month or day value (as an integer) from a date-value.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 33

Time-values
A time-value in CitectVBA represents the fractional time of day since the
previous midnight. Unlike a date-value which is simply a count of the number
of days, the time-value is a decimal fraction of a day.
As every day invariably consists of 24 hours, or 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds,
the time of day can be readily determined from a time-value using simple math.
An hour has the time-value of one twenty-fourth of one day (0.0416'), one
minute has the time-value of 0.000694', and a second has the time-value of
0.000011574'0'7'. Midday has the time-value of 0.50. 1AM has the time-value of
0.0416'. 1PM has the time value of 0.5416'.
The pre-defined CitectVBA Hour function, Minute function, and Second
function calculates and returns the appropriate hour, minute or second value (as
an integer) from a time-value.
See Also Date Handling
Date Constants
Formatting Date Values
Dates in Databases Using Different Calendars
Date and Time Data Constraints

Dates in Databases Using Different Calendars

If you use an existing database with date references of a different calendar type
than your current operation system locality settings, CitectVBA could report a
variety of errors or other unexpected behaviours. For example, if you have used
Hijri Calendar dates in your database, a syntax error message will occur if
CitectVBA makes reference to Gregorian dates that are invalid Hijri dates (for
example, the 31st of any month will produce a syntax error because no Hijri
month has 31 days).
To avoid problems of this sort, all date references in an external database should
be based on the Gregorian Calendar, or the database tables must be exported to
text files before use in CitectSCADA. Dates in Microsoft Access database tables
exported as text files are always stored as Gregorian values. If the database
calendar is set to Hijri for example, automatic Hijri to Gregorian conversion is
performed during the export process.
You can't set a database calendar programmatically using CitectVBA.
Note: When you want to use characters for Baltic, Central European, Cyrillic,
Greek, Turkish, and Asian languages, or right-to-left languages (Arabic, Hebrew,
Farsi, and Urdu) the operating system must have the corresponding language
version of Windows, or have installed system support for that language.
See Also Date Handling
34 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Operators
Variables can be manipulated in CitectVBA using assignment, arithmetic,
relational, and logical operators.
The assignment operator is used to assign a value to a variable or constant
(that equals this).
Arithmetic operators are used to mathematically manipulate numeric
variables and numbers (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.).
Relational Operators are used to compare the relationship between variables
(less than, greater than, not equal to, etc.).
Logical operators are used to perform digital logic operations on variables (
AND, OR, NOT, etc.).
When using multiple operators in a CitectVBA statement, an order of
precedence is required to ensure the operations occur in a consistent and
predictable manner.
The string concatenation operator is used to join strings together.
See Also Constants
Variables
Numbers
Strings
Date Handling
CitectVBA Function Reference

Assignment Operator
The CitectVBA assignment operator uses the equals character ( = ) in a
CitectVBA statement. The variable named to the left side of the assignment
operator is assigned the operand value from the right side of the assignment
operator, as shown here:
' declares integer variable named X
Dim X As Integer
' declares integer variable named Y
Dim Y as Integer
X = 123' assigns numeric value 123 to variable X
Y = X' assigns value of variable X to variable Y
Only one variable can be assigned at any one time with the assignment operator.
There must be a space on either side of the assignment operator, or the equals
character may be confused with either the variable name or the value being
assigned, and a compile error may occur.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 35

Unless the variable is a variant data type, the value being assigned must be the
same data type as the variable receiving the assigned value. For instance, if you
assign a text string into a long data type variable, you'll cause an error to occur.
The variable must be previously declared before being assigned a value. The
value of a variable can be changed any number of times in a later statements, as
in the following CitectVBA example:
' declare integer variable named X
' and assign an initial numeric value of 123 to it
Dim X = 123 As Integer
' <statement>
' <statement>
' <statement>
' reassign X to store the numeric value 456
X = 456
' <statement>
' <statement>
' <statement>
' reassign X to store the numeric value 789
X = 789
See Also Operators

Arithmetical (Math) Operators

CitectVBA arithmetic operators are used in CitectVBA statements to
mathematically manipulate numeric variables and numbers. The resultant is
often assigned to a third variable using the assignment operator.
The arithmetic operation as determined by the arithmetic operator is performed
between the values of the operands (variables or numbers positioned
immediately on either side of the arithmetic operator).
Operator Function Usage
^ Exponentiation X=Y^2
- Negation X=-2
* Multiplication X=2*3
/ Division X = 10 / 2
Mod Modulo X = Y MOD Z
+ Addition X=2+3
- Addition X=6–4
36 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Operator Description Order

Xor logical exclusion
Eqv logical equivalence
Imp logical implication Lowest
See Also Operators

Strings
Strings can be stored in CitectVBA variables of string and variant. When using
variant strings, be aware of type coercion in CitectVBA. Strings can be compared
with each other in CitectVBA to determine whether they contain the same
characters or not. Strings can be joined together to create longer strings in
CitectVBA using the concatenation operator.
Strings can be searched in CitectVBA using the:
InStr() function, which returns the character position of the first
occurrence of a string within another;
Left() function or Right() function which return a copy of the left or right
most characters of a string respectively; and
Mid() function, which returns the copy of a substring from within another
string.
To determine the length of a string, use the CitectVBA Len() function which
returns a Long variable containing the number of characters in the string.
String characters can be converted to ASCII values using the CitectVBA Asc()
function, and ASCII values can be converted to their string characters using the
Chr() Function.
String characters can be converted to all lowercase or all uppercase using the
CitectVBA Lcase() Function or the Ucase() Function respectively.
Leading or trailing spaces can be stripped off strings in CitectVBA using the
Ltrim() function or the Rtrim() function respectively.
Strings can be created consisting of a specified number of spaces or characters
using the Space() function or the String() function respectively.
For syntax details of using string functions in CitectVBA, see String Functions.
See Also Operators
Numbers
Control Structures
38 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

String Comparisons
CitectVBA compares ANSI values of characters when comparing strings. For
example, the character capital 'A' has the ANSI value of 65, and the character
lowercase 'a' has the ANSI value of 97. For a listing of ANSI characters values,
see ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings.
You can use CitectVBA relational operators (less than, greater than, equal to, not
equal to, and so on) to compare string variables. All relational operators return
either true or false.
With comparisons made using relational operators, the result depends on the
option compare string-comparison option setting of the CitectVBA file.
Consider the following example:
"Citectvba" > "CitectVBA"
If the file Option string-comparison setting is Option Compare Binary (or not set
at all), the comparison returns true. CitectVBA compares the binary (ANSI)
values for each corresponding position in the string until it finds two that differ.
In this example, the lowercase letter "v" corresponds to the ANSI value 118,
while the uppercase letter "V" corresponds to the ANSI value 86. Because 118 is
greater than 86, the comparison returns true.
If the file Option string-comparison setting is Option Compare Text, "Citectvba"
> "CitectVBA" returns false, because the strings are equivalent apart from case.
The built-in CitectVBA StrComp() Function returns a variant containing a value
representing the result of the comparison of two strings. It has an optional third
argument Comp which can override the file Option string-comparison setting.
See Also Option Compare statement
Strings

String Concatenation
To concatenate strings in CitectVBA, use the ampersand ( & ) concatenation
operator between the strings. Multiple concatenations can occur in the same
CitectVBA statement.
Dim strFirstName As String
Dim strLastName As String
Dim strFullName As String
Const strSpaceChar = " "
' note the space character between the quotes
strFirstName = "Colin"
strLastName = "Ramsden"
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 39

strFullName = strFirstName & strSpaceChar & strLastName

' concatenates string values
The & concatenation operator does not perform arithmetic, and will convert
variable data types to strings for concatenation. For instance, if a variant string
and a variant number are concatenated, the result is a string. For more details of
variant data types, see Variant Declaration and CitectVBA Data Types.
See Also Strings
Operators
Control Structures

Control Structures
CitectVBA provides conditional control functionality, which can be used to
conditionally perform CitectVBA statements or blocks of statements dependant
upon the result of the condition tested. This is known as logical decision making.
The logical decision making control structures available in CitectVBA consist of
three conditional looping or repetitive statements (Do Statement, While
Statement, and For Statement), and two conditional flow control sequence
statements (Select Case Statement, and variations of the If Statement). In
addition, CitectVBA provides one unconditional branching GoTo Statement.
Note: In the control structure syntax examples, every placeholder shown inside
arrow brackets ( <placeholder> ) should be replaced in any actual code with the
value of the item that it describes. The arrow brackets and the word they contain
should not be included in the statement, and are shown here only for your
information. Also, statements shown between square brackets ( [ ] ) are
optional. The square brackets should not be included in the statement, and are
shown here only for your information.
See Also Operators
GoTo statement
Do statement
While statement
For statement
If statement
Select case statement
End statement
Exit statement
OnError statement
Stop statement
With statement
CitectVBA Function Reference
40 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

GoTo statement The GoTo conditional statement branches unconditionally and without return to
the label specified in the GoTo statement. The label must be located in the same
subroutine or function as the Goto statement.
<statement/s>
If <condition> then
GoTo Label1
Else
GoTo Label2
End If
Label1:
<statement/s>
GoTo Label3
Label2:
<statement/s>
GoTo Label3
Label3:
<statement/s>
In this example, CitectVBA tests the If condition, and jumps to the part of the
script that begins with the label "Label1:" if the condition was true, or jumps to
the part of the script that begins with the label "Label2:" if the condition was
false. This could be anywhere in the same subroutine or function.
See Also Control Structures

Do statement The Do...Loop conditional statement allows you to execute a block of statements
an indefinite number of times. The variations of the Do...Loop are Do While, Do
Until, Do Loop While, and Do Loop Until.
Do While|Until <condition>
<statement/s>
Loop

Do Until <condition>
<statement/s>
Loop

Do
<statement/s>
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 41

Loop While <condition>

Do
<statement/s>
Loop Until <condition>
Do While and Do Until check the condition before entering the loop, thus the
block of statements inside the loop are only executed when those conditions are
met. Do Loop While and Do Loop Until check the condition after having
executed the block of statements thereby guaranteeing that the block of
statements is executed at least once.
Any Do statement can be exited using the Exit Do statement.
See Also Control Structures

While statement The While...Wend loop conditional statement is similar to the Do While loop
statement. The condition is checked before executing the block of statements
comprising the loop.
While <condition>
<statement/s>
Wend

Example Dim Var1 as String

Var1 = "hello"
' Calling Test
Test Var1
MsgBox Var1

Sub Test(wvar1 as string)

MsgBox wvar1
wvar1 = "goodbye"
End
End Sub
See Also Control Structures

Exit statement Exits a loop or procedure

Exit {Do | For | Function | Sub }

Example ' This sample shows Do ... Loop with Exit Do to get out.
Dim Value, Msg' Declare variables
Do
Value = InputBox("Enter a value from 5 to 10.")
If Value >= 5 And Value <= 10 Then' Check range
Exit Do' Exit Do...Loop
Else
Beep' Beep if not in range
End If
Loop
See Also Control Structures
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 47

OnError statement CitectVBAs error-handling routine and specifies the line label of the error-
handling routine. The line parameter refers to a label. That label must be present
in the code or an error is generated.
On Error { GoTo line | Resume Next | GoTo 0 }
Example
On Error GoTo errHandler
Dim x as object
x.draw ' Object not set
jpe ' Undefined function call
print 1/0 ' Division by zero
Err.Raise 6' Generate an "Overflow" error
Exit Sub
errHandler:
Print Err.Number, Err.Description
Resume Next
See Also Control Structures

Stop statement Ends execution of the program. The Stop statement can be placed anywhere in
your code.

Example Dim x,y,z

For x = 1 to 5
For y = 1 to 5
For z = 1 to 5
Print "Looping",z,y,x
Next z
Next y
Stop
Next x
See Also Control Structures

With statement The With Statement is not supported in CitectVBA. When performing a series of
commands on an object, you must explicitly refer to the name of the object with
each command.
See Also Control Structures
48 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Subroutines and Functions

Commonly used sequences of CitectVBA statements can be grouped together
into functions and subroutines, so that they can be keyed in once, and used
many times in many places, by 'calling' the name of the subroutine or function in
code.
A subroutine or function is a group or list of sequential statements that
CitectVBA can perform (execute) in the logical order that they exist within the
subroutine or function from top to bottom in the order they are listed within the
function or subroutine.
If the group of statements returns a value, it must be declared as a function. If it
does not return a value, it must be declared as a subroutine. A subroutine or
function is called by placing the name of the subroutine or function in a code
statement where you want the action of the subroutine or function to occur.
Note: Subroutines and functions can contain statements that call other
subroutines or functions (to perform, before returning to the following
statements within the calling subroutine or function).
Both subroutines and functions can similarly be passed values as arguments
when they are called:
Arguments are passed to subroutines in CitectVBA code following the
subroutine name and separated by space characters.
Arguments are passed to functions enclosed within parentheses in
CitectVBA code, similarly following the subroutine name and separated by
space characters.
Note: CitectSCADA tag values must be declared by value when passed as
argument values to a CitectVBA procedure from within a Citect/SCADA
command or expression field (see Passing variables Byref and Byval).
See Also Subroutines
Functions
Arguments

Subroutines A CitectVBA subroutine starts with the SUB statement and finishes with the
END SUB statement. All other statements that lie between the SUB and END
SUB statements, will be executed by the subroutine, when called to do so.
Note: In the following subroutine syntax example:
Every placeholder shown inside arrow brackets ( <placeholder> ) should be
replaced in any actual code with the value of the item that it describes. The
arrow brackets and the word they contain should not be included in the
statement, and are shown here only for your information.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 49

Statements shown between square brackets ( [ ] ) are optional. The square

brackets should not be included in the statement, and are shown here only
for your information.
In CitectVBA, Subroutines are created with the SUB statement in the following
format.
Sub <SubName> ( [ Byval ] [ <Argument/s> ] [ <As Data Type> ])
<statement>
<statement>
<statement>
End Sub

Where:
[ Byval ] is the optional parameter for the argument;
Sub is the required subroutine statement basic keyword
<SubName>'represents the required name of the subroutine being created
<Argument/s> represents the optional argument/s of the subroutine
<statement> represents the executable CitectVBA script statement/s
End Sub is the subroutine terminating statement
The name given to the subroutine immediately follows the SUB keyword, and is
used to identify the subroutine to CitectVBA. This name is referred to when the
subroutine is called upon (called) to be executed (perform the statements it
contains) by some other procedure in CitectVBA.
Subroutine names can contain the letters 'A' to 'Z' and 'a' to 'z', the underscore '_'
and digits '0' to '9'. The subroutine name must begin with a letter, be no longer
than 40 characters, cannot contain the space character, and cannot be a reserved
word. Subroutine names (once declared), become a keyword in CitectVBA. Like
most keywords in CitectVBA, these names are not case sensitive.
The subroutine name always ends with a pair of parentheses ( ) which may or
may not contain one or more arguments required by (necessary for use in) the
subroutine . Multiple arguments if used, are separated by commas ( , ). See the
section titled 'Arguments in CitectVBA' for more details and argument syntax.
All the lines located between the SUB and the END SUB statements, contain the
statements that will be executed when the subroutine is called in CitectVBA.
These statements will be executed one at a time in logical order from top to
bottom within the subroutine.
See Also Subroutines and Functions
Functions
Arguments
50 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Functions A CitectVBA function starts with the FUNCTION statement and finishes with
the END FUNCTION statement. All other statements that lie between the
FUNCTION and END FUNCTION statements, will be executed by the function,
when called to do so.
Note: In the following function syntax example:
Every placeholder shown inside arrow brackets ( <placeholder> ) should be
replaced in any actual code with the value of the item that it describes. The
arrow brackets and the word they contain should not be included in the
statement, and are shown here only for your information.
Statements shown between square brackets ( [ ] ) are optional. The square
brackets should not be included in the statement, and are shown here only
for your information.
A typical CitectVBA function is structured like in the following example:
Function <FunctionName> ( [ Byval ] [ <Argument/s> ] ) [ As
<ReturnDataType> ]
<statement>
<statement>
<statement>
[ <FunctionName> = <value> ]
End Function

where:
Function' is the required function statement basic keyword
[ Byval ] is the optional parameter for the argument;
<FunctionName> represents the required name of the function being created
( <Argument/s> ) represents the optional argument/s of the function
<ReturnDataType> represents the optional return data type of the function
<statement> represents the executable CitectVBA script statement/s
= <value> represents the optional assignment of the return value for the
function
'End Function' is the function terminating statement
The name given to the function, immediately follows the FUNCTION keyword,
and is used to identify the function to CitectVBA. This name is referred to when
the function is called upon (called) to be executed (perform the statements it
contains) by some other procedure in CitectVBA.
Function names can contain the letters 'A' to 'Z' and 'a' to 'z', the underscore '_'
and digits '0' to '9'. The function name must begin with a letter, be no longer than
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 51

40 characters, cannot contain the space character, and cannot be a reserved word.
Function names (once declared), become a keyword in CitectVBA. Like most
keywords in CitectVBA, these names are not case sensitive.
The function name always ends with a pair of parentheses ( ) which may or may
not contain one or more arguments required by (necessary for use in) the
function. Multiple arguments if used, are separated by commas ( , ). See the
section titled 'Arguments in CitectVBA' for more details and argument syntax.
All the lines located between the FUNCTION and the END FUNCTION
statements, contain the statements that will be executed when the function is
called in CitectVBA. These statements will be executed one at a time in logical
order from top to bottom within the function.
The return value of the function is optionally assigned within the function in a
statement using the function name. This value is often used within the calling
procedure to determine the status of the function. Commonly, this value may be
a Boolean True or False to indicate the successful completion or not of the
function.
See Also Subroutines and Functions
Arguments
Subroutines
Accessing Functions in DLLs

Arguments Arguments are used in CitectVBA to pass values into subroutines and functions
when they are being called. Arguments are positioned between parentheses '( )'
immediately after the subroutine or function name in the subroutine or function
declaration. If no arguments are required for the subroutine or function, the
parentheses must be included and left empty in the declaration.
Arguments are optional in the sense that subroutines and functions do not
require them. However, if arguments are to be used in a subroutine or function,
the arguments must first be declared with the subroutine or function
declaration, before they can be used. If declared, they must be used whenever
the subroutine or function is called.
CitectVBA does NOT support named arguments so all arguments must be used
in declaration order. If omitted, strings default to an empty string (""), and
numeric values default to zero (0). Boolean values in CitectVBA are represented
with -1 for TRUE, and 0 for FALSE.
Multiple arguments must be separated by a comma ( , ) placed between the
arguments. The number of arguments that can be used in any single subroutine
or function is not stated, (but likely limited to something like 255). If you are
declaring a subroutine or function with that many arguments, you should
probably split your subroutine or function into smaller separate logical routines
with less arguments for each routine. If an argument is omitted, its place must be
declared by the use of a comma in the call.
52 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

If you want to use the value in a Citect tag as an argument to a function or

subroutine, you must assign the value of the tag to a CitectVBA variable, and
then pass the variable as the argument. You cannot pass a Citect tag name as an
argument to a function or subroutine.
Each argument declaration in a subroutine or function must be structured using
the proper CitectVBA argument syntax as described below.
CitectVBA argument structure syntax in the declaration of functions or
subroutines is as follows:
( [ Byval ] <Argument/s> [ As <DataType> ] )
where:
[ Byval ] is the optional parameter for the argument.
<Argument/s> represents the argument/s required by the function or
subroutine.
[ As <DataType> ] represents the optional data type declaration of the
argument.
The optional 'Byval' parameter specifies that the variable is passed by value
instead of by reference (see the section titled 'Passing Variables Byref and Byval
with CitectVBA').
Note: CitectSCADA tag values MUST be declared by value when passed as
argument values to a CitectVBA procedure from within a CitectSCADA
command or expression field. This is best done by declaring a variable,
assigning it the tag value, then passing the variable by value.
The function or subroutine name always ends with a pair of parentheses ( )
which may or may not contain one or more arguments required by (necessary
for use in) the function or subroutine. Multiple arguments if used, are separated
by commas ( , ).
The optional 'As <DataType>' parameter is used to specify the data type of the
argument variable. The argument data types must be individually declared, or
will be of Variant data type by default. Valid data types for arguments in
CitectVBA are: String, Integer, Double, Long, and Variant (see the section titled
'CitectVBA_Data_Types' for descriptions of data types in CitectVBA).

Example ' Arguments are declared with the function or subroutine

' The function is called from the subroutine highlighted below
Function longArea(Byval longLength As Long, _
Byval longWidth As Long) As Long
' multiplies arguments and
' assigns result to return value
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 53

longArea = longLength * longWidth

End Function
Sub FindArea
' declare long variables X Y and Z
Dim longX As Long
Dim longY As Long
Dim longZ As Long

' assign numeric value 12 to variable X

X = 12
' assign numeric value 34 to variable Y
Y = 34

' call function named longArea,

' passing in values of X and Y variables
' as arguments
'store result in variable Z
Z = longArea(X, Y)
' copy result Z to tag
TestTag_1 = Z
End Sub
Granted, that's not likely the way you'd actually calculate an area given two
fixed values in a subroutine that calls a function. You could just as easily do the
calculation within the subroutine. However, this example does demonstrate the
passing of values from a subroutine to a function, and the retrieval of a return
value from the function back to the calling subroutine.
Note in the previous example, that the argument names ('longLength' and
'longWidth') are only used within the function in which they were declared. The
values they represented were passed in with the call to the function in the
statement line:
Z = longArea(X, Y)
The values of the variables 'X' and 'Y' were passed into the function 'longArea'
and were handled within the function as its argument names 'longLength' and
'longWidth'. The result was returned and stored in the variable named 'Z'.
See Also Subroutines and Functions
Subroutines
54 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Functions

DLLs and APIs

Dynamic Linked Libraries (DLLs) are files that contain functions which can be
called from any application running under Microsoft Windows. At run time, a
function in a DLL is dynamically linked into an application that calls it. No
matter how many applications call a function in a DLL, that function exists in
only a single file on the computer, and the DLL is loaded only once in memory.
An application programming interface (API) is a set of functions you can use to
work with a component, application, or the operating system. Typically an API
consists of one or more DLLs that provide some specific functionality.
For example, the Windows API includes the DLLs that make up the Windows
Operating System (OS). Every Windows application interacts with the Windows
API directly or indirectly. The Windows API is provided to ensure that all
applications running under Windows will behave in a consistent manner.
Note: CitectSCADA itself provides an API for external access to CitectSCADA I/
O variable tags via a DLL interface.
APIs are traditionally written for C and C++ programmers who are building
Windows applications, however, the functions in a DLL can also be called by
other programming languages, including CitectVBA. Because most DLLs are
written and documented primarily for C/C++ programmers, calling a DLL
function may differ somewhat from calling a CitectVBA function. In order to
work with an API, you need to understand how to pass arguments from
CitectVBA to a DLL function. See Passing Arguments to DLL Functions from
CitectVBA.
See Also Passing variables Byref and Byval
CitectVBA Function Reference

Accessing Functions in DLLs

To be able to call and use an external DLL function using CitectVBA, you must
have previously provided CitectVBA with details about the function being
called. CitectVBA requires information like the name of the function, where that
function is located, what arguments it expects, and what type of data it returns.
CitectVBA uses the Declare statement to detail that information.
The Declare statement must be positioned in the CitectVBA file in your project
above and before any code that calls that declared function of the DLL.

Declare statement The Declare statement consists of the required Declare keyword, followed by the
structure required Function statement, the required Lib statement, the optional Alias
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 55

statement, the optional Argument statement(s) contained within braces, and the
optional return data type statement.
Note: The use of the OPTIONAL components of the Declare statement syntax
indicates that they may not be required in all DLL functions. It is not up to you
whether you can optionally use them or not. If included in a DLL function, they
MUST be used when declaring that function to CitectVBA.
The Declare statement in CitectVBA details the name, file location, arguments,
intrinsic constants, and type definitions that the DLL function requires. Here's
an example of the Declare statement for the Windows API GetTempPathA
function, which returns the path to the Windows system temporary folder:
Declare Function GetTempPathA Lib "kernel32" _
(Byval nBufferLength As Long, _
Byval lpBuffer As String) As Long
The Declare keyword indicates to CitectVBA that you intend to call a function
belonging to an external DLL. The Declare keyword must be used first in the
declaration statement.

Declare - Function Statement

The Function statement consists of the Function keyword, followed by the name
that you will use when calling this function from CitectVBA.

Declare - Lib Statement

The Lib statement specifies which DLL contains the function you wish to use.
The Lib statement consists of the Lib keyword, followed by the name of the DLL
contained within string double quotes. Some commonly used DLLs in the
Windows API for example, are Kernel32.dll - which performs low level OS
functions like memory management and resource handling, the User32.dll -
which performs Windows message handling, timers, menus and
communication functions, and the GDI32.dll - which performs the graphics
display and font management functions.

Declare - Alias Statement

In the previous Declare statement example, the name of the declared function in
CitectVBA is the same as the name of the actual function within the DLL. This
does not necessarily have to be the case. There are some instances where the
name of the function in the DLL is incompatible with the naming structure of
CitectVBA, and cannot be used as a declared function name in CitectVBA. An
example would be those DLL function names that start with an underscore.
To overcome such incompatibilites, the CitectVBA Declare statement supports
the use of an alias name for the DLL function, through the use of the optional
Alias statement . The Alias statement consists of the Alias keyword, followed by
the actual name of the DLL function contained within string double quotes. The
56 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Alias statement must be positioned within the Declare statement between the
Lib statement and the Argument statement.
Here's an example of the Declare statement for the Windows API
GetTempPathA function as used above, however, this time using the optional
Alias statement:
Declare Function GetWinTempPath Lib "kernel32" _
(Byval nBufferLength As Long, _Alias "GetTempPathA" _
Byval lpBuffer As String) As Long
In this example, the name of the API function in the DLL is GetTempPathA, and
the name by which you would call this function from CitectVBA is
GetWinTempPath. Note that the actual name of the DLL function appears
contained within string double quotes positioned after the Alias keyword. This
instructs CitectVBA to use the alias function name when calling the DLL.
Because an alias allows you to name a declared DLL function anything you want
in CitectVBA, you can make the function name conform to your own naming
standards.
Note: DLL functions are case sensitive; CitectVBA function names are not. When
declaring DLL functions in CitectVBA, be careful to accurately remain case
sensistive in the declaration.
See Also Functions
Passing variables Byref and Byval
Passing Arguments to DLL Functions from CitectVBA
DLLs and APIs

Passing variables Byref Passing an argument by reference (using the Byref parameter) passes a pointer
and Byval to the memory location of that argument. A pointer is just a memory address
that indicates where the value is stored. If the procedure modifies that
argument's value, it modifies the source of that argument, so when execution
returns to the calling procedure, the source contains the modified value.
Passing an argument to a function by value (using the Byval parameter), on the
other hand, passes a copy of the value as the argument. This prevents that
function from modifying the source of the argument. When execution returns to
the calling procedure, the source contains the same value it did before the
function was called.
The Byref parameter is the default in CitectVBA and does not need to be used
explicitly within CitectVBA. Byref gives other subroutines and functions
permission to make changes to the source of the values that are passed in Byref.
The keyword Byval denies this permission so the argument source cannot be
altered.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 57

There are two possible methods for indicating to CitectVBA that you wish to
pass an argument by value :
When declaring the argument in the subroutine or function declaration
statement, by using the Byval keyword placed immediately before the
argument name. This ensures that the subroutine or function will always use
a copy of the argument passed in and not modify the source. For example,
the following function TestPassArg has declared its first argument intVal as
being requested Byval.
Function TestPassArg(Byval intVal As Integer, varVal, strVal as
String)
When passing an argument to a subroutine or function, by enclosing the
individual argument within parentheses. Only the value of the argument,
and not its address in memory, is passed to the subroutine or function, once
again ensuring that the source of the argument is not modified. For example,
only the variable var3 is passed by value to the subroutine TestPassArg
(because only that argument is enclosed within parentheses in the
subroutine call).
TestPassArg var1, var2, (var3)
In the next example, the parameter iVar is passed by value to the function
TestFunction. Since arguments passed to functions must be enclosed in
parentheses, an extra pair is used to force the argument to be passed by
value.
TestFunction((iVar))
Note: CitectSCADA does not support passing by reference, so CitectSCADA
tag values MUST be declared by value when passed as arguments to a
CitectVBA procedure from within a CitectSCADA command or expression
field. This is best done by declaring the variable, assigning it the tag value,
then passing the variable by value. (See the Example below.)

ExampleExample Suppose you had a variable tag of integer type named "iTag1" and you need to
pass it to a function. From within a CitectVBA script, or CitectSCADA command
or expression field, you would use the following code example to pass the
variable tag value to a function named TagArgumentTest:
CiVBA
Dim iVar1 as Integer
iVar1 = iTag1
TagArgumentTest(iVar1)
Note: Cicode does not support passing by reference, so CitectVBA variables
passed to Cicode functions using the CicodeCallOpen function must be
enclosed in brackets to force the passing of those variables by value.
58 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Passing Arguments to DLL Functions from CitectVBA

Many arguments to DLL functions are passed by value. By default, arguments in
CitectVBA are passed by reference, so it's imperative that you include the Byval
keyword in the function definition when the DLL function requires that an
argument be passed by value. See Passing variables Byref and Byval.
Note: Although the Byval keyword appears in front of some arguments of type
String, strings are always passed to Windows API functions by reference,
therefore any DLL function can always modify a string source directly.
DLL functions don't return strings in the same way that CitectVBA functions do.
Because strings are always passed to DLL functions by reference, the DLL
function can modify the value of the string argument. Rather than returning a
string as the return value for the function, as you would probably do in
CitectVBA, a DLL function returns a string into an argument of type String that
was passed to the function. The actual return value for the function is often a
long integer specifying the number of bytes that were written into the string
argument.
To call a DLL function that writes to a String variable, you need to take
additional steps to format the string properly. First of all, the String variable
must be a null-terminated string. A null-terminated string ends in a special null
character. Secondly, a DLL function can't change the size of a string once it has
been created.
Therefore, you need to make sure that the string that you pass to a function is
large enough to hold the entire return value, and that it terminates with a Null
character. When you pass a string to a DLL function, you'll usually need to
specify the size of the string that you've passed in another argument. Windows
keeps track of the length of the string to ensure that it doesn't overwrite any
memory that the string is using.
Note: It's only necessary to pass in a null-terminated string and its size if you're
returning a string from a function. If the function does not return a string into a
string argument, but instead takes a string that provides information to the
function, you can simply pass in a normal CitectVBA String variable.
A Nullstring is a string of value 0 [no Character code]; note that this is not the
same as an empty string ("").
See Also DLLs and APIs
Arguments
Passing variables Byref and Byval
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 59

OLE Services
OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) services is the term used to generally
describe the integrated use of separate software components (applications)
working together to provide custom software solutions based upon the
Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) architecture.
When considering the use of OLE services, you should be aware that there are
different uses of OLE which have developed over the years and which may be
confused with one another. Examples of different OLE services include: object
linking, object embedding, visual editing, drag-and-drop, ActiveX Controls,
OLE Automation, OLE DB, OLE Messaging, and OLE Networking services. See
OLE terminology.
CitectSCADA supports linked and embedded OLE objects in its graphics pages
with the use of ActiveX Controls. See Accessing ActiveX Objects with
CitectVBA.
CitectSCADA can use CitectVBA to perform as an OLE Automation controller.
See OLE automation objects. CitectSCADA can also exchange data with other
applications using other data transfer technologies.

OLE terminology OLE superceded the Dynamic Data Exchange protocol. Network DDE was
introduced to afford the same data transfer facility between Windows
applications connected across the same network. CitectSCADA supports both
DDE and Network DDE connectivity.

OLE Linking and Embedding

The differences between linked objects and embedded objects which may affect
you, concern where the data is stored, and how it is updated after you place it in
the destination file. With linked OLE objects, the source of the OLE object data
remains in the original data file of the application that was used to create it, and
only a copy of the data is ever displayed in the destination document. The data is
updated only when the source file is modified. Embedded OLE objects duplicate
and store a local copy of the source file data within the destination document
data file, and are not linked to the source file. That is, the data copy in the
destination file does not change when you modify the source file.
With both linked and embedded OLE objects, when the OLE object in the
destination document is double-clicked, the original application (that was used
to create the data) of the OLE object is launched to permit editing of the data
using that source program's editor. Linked OLE objects store their data back in
the original source data files, whilst embedded OLE objects store their data in
the destination program data files.

OLE Automation
'OLE Automation' was developed to permit the (remote) control of other
applications on the same computer. Applications which expose their
60 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

functionality using OLE Automation are known as OLE Automation servers,

and could be automated by code running in a completely separate application,
known as OLE Automation clients or controllers.
OLE Automation servers exposed their functionality through structured object
models, which are listings of the internal functions, methods and properties of
the application object. All Microsoft Office applications are OLE Automation
servers to some extent, and can be subsequently controlled by any OLE
Automation compliant controller, using the appropriate syntax to manipulate
and control the relevant application object model.
Not all applications that support OLE services support OLE Automation. For
example, many products support drag-and-drop, and object linking and
embedding, but do not support OLE Automation. Linking and embedding allow
the user to access the object, whereas OLE Automation allows one application to
control another application, possibly with minimal or no user interaction.
See Also OLE Services

OLE automation objects CitectVBA supports the referencing and control of OLE Automation objects of
external applications, permitting you to use the properties, methods and events
of those objects from within CitectSCADA.
To access an OLE Automation object using CitectVBA, you must first declare an
object variable in your CitectVBA code, then assign an OLE Automation
reference to the variable. See Declaration of OLE Automation objects in
CitectVBA, and Assigning references to OLE Automation objects in CitectVBA.
Objects declared in a CitectVBA Sub or Function procedure are local to that
procedure, and their lifetime ends along with the end of the procedure. An
object declared outside a procedure has modular scope to all procedures within
the same CitectVBA file module and lasts for the lifetime of the variable that
retains the reference to the object.
All object references must be deleted when they are no longer required, to
release the memory they were using.
When considering the use of OLE Automation, you should be aware that there
are different uses of OLE which have developed over the years and which may
be confused with one another.
See Also OLE Services

Declaration of OLE CitectVBA objects can only be declared and referenced within CitectVBA file
automation objects modules. CitectVBA modular objects have modular scope and cannot be
referenced (accessed and used) from outside their CitectVBA module (file).
Note: CitectVBA objects cannot be used directly in CitectSCADA command or
expression fields.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 61

Once declared within a CitectVBA module, CitectVBA objects can be referenced

and used in any procedure within the same code module. An object declared
outside of a procedure has modular scope to all procedures within that same
CitectVBA module (file). Objects declared within a Sub or Function procedure
have local scope only within that procedure.
The object variable must be declared before it can be assigned an object
reference. Object variables are declared by the Dim Statement with the As Object
CitectVBA data type using the following syntax:
Dim <VariableName> As Object
where:
Dim is the required Variable declaration statement BASIC keyword
<VariableName> represents the required name of the variable being
declared (dimensioned)
As Object declares the variable as a CitectVBA 'object' data type
Note: The placeholder shown inside arrow brackets (<placeholder>) should be
replaced in any actual code with the value of the item that it describes. The
arrow brackets and the word they contain should not be included in the
statement, and are shown here only for your information.
For example:
' create local variables to store object references
Dim objExcelApp As Object
Dim objWordApp As Object
Once declared, you can then assign an OLE Automation reference to the object
variable in CitectVBA.
See Also Deleting OLE automation objects
Using OLE automation objects

Assigning references to An OLE Automation object MUST be defined before it can be used. Once
OLE automation objects defined (see Declaration of OLE Automation objects in CitectVBA), you assign
an OLE Automation reference to the object variable in CitectVBA using the
CitectVBA CreateObject function within a CitectVBA Set statement in the
following syntax:
Set <objVarName> = CreateObject(<objClassName>)
where:
Set is the required reference assignment statement keyword
<objVarName> represents the required name of the variable receiving the
reference
62 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

CreateObject() function creates the object of the class type specified in the
argument
<objClassName> represents the required name of the class providing the
object
The object class name passed as the argument to the CreatObject function
usually consists of the fully qualified class name of the object being created, for
example "Word.Application" or "Excel.Application".

Example ' create variable to store object reference

Dim objExcelApp As Object
' create the app object and assign the reference
Set objExcelApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
' or
' create variable to store object reference
Dim objWordApp As Object
' create the app object and assign the reference
Set objWordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
Once assigned, you can then use that object variable in your CitectVBA code to
manipulate the referenced object model. See Using OLE automation objects.
Dependant objects (which cannot be created independantly) can be "drilled-
down" to and subsequently assigned from existing (externally creatable)
independant object s, by using a method of the higher level object. See
Understanding object models in OLE Automation.
For examples of independant objects, Microsoft Excel provides the
"Excel.Application", "Excel.Sheet ", and "Excel.Chart" externally creatable objects
amongst others, (two of which are demonstrated in OLE Automation example
using the Microsoft Excel object), and Microsoft Word provides the
"Word.Application", "Word.Document", and "Word.Picture" externally creatable
objects amongst others (and is demonstrated in OLE Automation example using
the Microsoft Word object).
See Also OLE automation objects

Using OLE automation The trick with successfully using OLE Automation is determining what you can
objects and can't do with it. In theory, you can do anything the OLE Automation server
application can do. However, in practice, not every OLE Automation server
application exposes all of its functionality through its OLE Automation
interface.
You have to be able to use the native programming language of the OLE
Automation server application in your code. You also need to know about the
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 63

limitations imposed by the CitectSCADA operating environment, and its

implementation of the CitectVBA programming language.
CitectVBA does not support early binding of OLE Automation objects, as there
is no mechanism for providing a reference to the object type library (like you can
do in Microsoft Visual Studio) until runtime. So, CitectVBA compile errors can
occur with valid VBA code which may work well in other VBA supporting
applications. Most ported VBA code will require some modification to overcome
such limitations and perform as expected in CitectVBA. For example, CitectVBA
does not support the use of "With" statements concerning properties or methods
of an object, yet does support the use of "For Each" statements with objects in a
collection.
CitectVBA does not support the use of named arguments using the ":=" named
argument operator (colon followed by an equal sign). Nor does it support the
use of missing arguments using placeholder commas, however, CitectVBA does
support the use of the "empty" keyword in place of missing arguments.
CitectVBA does not support the passing of SCADA variable tags by reference,
however, the tag value can be copied to a CitectVBA variable, and it can be
passed by value. See Passing Variables Byref and Byval with CitectVBA.
To help overcome these and other difficulties, you should know how to access
the object model of the OLE Automation server applications. CitectVBA does
not support the use of application-defined object types nor intrinsic constants
due to late-binding of the object model. CitectVBA supports only 10 data-types,
so be aware of the possibility of data being lost due to rounding when
converting between different data types. See Rounding Numbers in CitectVBA.
To make full use of the OLE Automation object models, you should make
yourself familiar with Object related terms. See Understanding object models in
OLE Automation.
See Also OLE automation objects

Accessing the object During the development stage of your project, to access the object model of any
model of OLE OLE Automation server applications, you must have a copy of the appropriate
application program installed on the computer you are developing the OLE
automation server
Automation controller with.
applications
Equally, during CitectSCADA runtime, there must be a copy of the appropriate
application program installed on the computer you are running the OLE
Automation controller from. If, for example, you were calling the code which
creates the object from say a button on a graphics page on a CitectSCADA Client
machine, the appropriate application program must be installed on every Client
machine with access to that graphics page, for the code to work (if called) on that
Client machine.
64 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

All of the Microsoft Office suite of products support the VBA language in some
manner, and export an OLE Automation object type library which you can view
and use. See How to view an OLE Automation object type library from a
Microsoft Office product.
Also, the VB programming IDE within Visual Studio can be referenced to load
the appropriate type library as required. See How to view an OLE Automation
object type library in VB.
Both these suites provide an object browser which you can use to explore the
object models. You use the structure of the object model to access, manipulate
and control the OLE Automation object using CitectVBA. See Understanding
object models in OLE Automation.
See Also OLE automation objects

Understanding object Objects are the fundamental building blocks of OLE Automation, and object
models in OLE models are a roadmap to the object structure. OLE Automation using CitectVBA
involves creating and modifying the objects provided by other applications
automation
(external to the CitectSCADA application). For instance, every element of
Microsoft Word ( documents, tables, paragraphs, bookmarks, fields and so on)
can be represented by an object in CitectVBA using OLE automation with the
Word object model.

What are objects and collections?

An object represents an element of the OLE Automation application. A
collection is an object that contains several other objects, usually of the same
type. For example, all the bookmark objects in a document are contained in a
single Bookmarks collection object of the Word application. Using appropriate
properties and methods, OLE Automation permits the modification of a single
object or an entire collection of objects.

What is a property?
A property is an attribute of an object or an aspect of its behavior. For example,
properties of a Word document include its name, its content, and its save status,
as well as whether change tracking is turned on. To change the characteristics of
any referenced object, you change the values of its properties.
To set the value of a property, follow the reference to an object with a period, the
property name, an equal sign, and the new property value. The following
example turns on change tracking in the Word document named "MyDoc.doc."
objWordApp.Documents("MyDoc.doc").TrackRevisions = True
In this example, Documents refers to the collection of open documents, and the
name "MyDoc.doc" identifies a single document in the collection. The
TrackRevisions property is set for that single document.
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 65

You can also return information about an object by returning the value of one of
its properties. The following example returns the name of the active Word
document.
docName = objWordApp.ActiveDocument.Name
In this example, ActiveDocument refers to the document in the active window in
Word. The name of that document is assigned to the variable "docName".
Note: Some properties cannot be set. The Help topic for each property indicates
whether you can set that property (read-write), only read the property (read-
only), or only write the property (write-only). Also the Object Browser in the
Visual Basic Editor displays the read-write status at the bottom of the browser
window when the property is selected.

What is a method?
A method is an action that an object can perform. For example, just as a Word
document can be printed, the Document object has a PrintOut method. Methods
often have arguments that qualify how the action is performed. The following
example prints the first three pages of the active Word document.
objWordApp.ActiveDocument.PrintOut From:=1, To:=3
In most cases, methods are actions and properties are qualities. Using a method
causes something to happen to an object, while using a property returns
information about the object or it causes a quality about the object to change.

Returning an object
Most objects return a single object from the collection. For example, the
Documents collection contains the currently open Word documents. You use the
Documents property of the Application object (the object at the top of the Word
object hierarchy) to return the Documents collection.
After you've accessed the collection, you can return a single object by using an
index value in parentheses (this is similar to how you work with VBA arrays).
The index value can be either a number or a name.
The following example uses the Documents property to access the Document
collection. The index number is used to return the first document in the
Documents collection. The Close method is then applied to the Document object
to close the first document in the Documents collection.
objWordApp.Documents(1).Close
The following example uses a name (specified as a string) to identify a
Document object within the Documents collection.
objWordApp.Documents("Sales.doc").Close
Collection objects often have methods and properties which you can use to
modify the entire collection of objects. The Documents object has a Save method
66 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

that saves all the documents in the collection. The following example saves the
open documents by applying the Save method.
objWordApp.Documents.Save
The Document object also has a Save method available for saving a single
document. The following example saves the document named Report.doc.
objWordApp.Documents("Report.doc").Save
To return an object that is further down in the Word object hierarchy, you must
"drill down" to it by using properties and methods to return objects.
To see how this is done, in Word, open the Visual Basic Editor and click Object
Browser on the View menu. Click Application in the Classes list on the left. Then
click ActiveDocument from the list of members on the right. The text at bottom
of the Object Browser indicates that ActiveDocument is a read-only property
that returns a Document object. Click Document at the bottom of the Object
Browser; the Document object is automatically selected in the Classes list, and
the Members list displays the members of the Document object. Scroll through
the list of members until you find Close. Click the Close method. The text at the
bottom of the Object Browser window shows the syntax for the method. For
more information about the method, press F1 or click the Help button to jump to
the Close method Help topic.
Given this information, you can write the following instruction to close the
active document.
objWordApp.ActiveDocument.Close SaveChanges:=wdSaveChanges
The following example maximizes the active document window.
objWordApp.ActiveDocument.ActiveWindow.WindowState =
wdWindowStateMaximize
The ActiveWindow property returns a Window object that represents the active
window. The WindowState property is set to the maximize constant
(wdWindowStateMaximize).
The following example creates a new document and displays the Save As dialog
box so that a name can be provided for the document.
objWordApp.Documents.Add.Save
The Documents property returns the Documents collection. The Add method
creates a new document and returns a Document object. The Save method is
then applied to the Document object.
As you can see, you use methods or properties to drill down to an object. That is,
you return an object by applying a method or property to an object above it in
the object hierarchy. After you return the object you want, you can apply the
methods and control the properties of that object.
See Also OLE Services
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 67

Using the Microsoft You should use the associated online help documentation that came with the
Word object model object application to obtain details of the object model.
The help is quite easy to use. Each of the classes and collections can be clicked to
jump to its page.
In CitectVBA, you must use the full Application object qualifier when
referencing the properties and methods of the object. For example, you must use
the full syntax "Application.ActiveDocument.PrintOut", instead of
"ActiveDocument.PrintOut".
See Also OLE Services

OLE automation All commands in Word are directed to the active document, which may be
example using the changed in code. It is recommended to use named arguments, as the argument
sequences are recorded incorrectly in some documentation, including the type
Microsoft Word object
library and what the recorder writes to macros.
Sub runWord()
' demonstrating the use of OLE Automation
' to manipulate Word

' create local variables

Dim objWordApp As Object
' create the app object and assign the reference
Set objWordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")

' manipulate the app object

' insert appropriate VBA code here to manipulate Word object

' close Word

objWordApp.Quit

' delete the object

Set objWordApp= Nothing

End Sub
See Also OLE automation example using the Microsoft Word object
Using OLE automation objects
68 Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics

Using the Microsoft You should use the associated online help documentation that came with the
Excel object model object application to obtain details of the object model.

<objVarName> represents the required name of the variable holding the

reference.
Nothing is the keyword used to release the object reference.
When several object variables refer to the same object, they also refer to the
memory and system resources associated with the object. These resources are
released only after all of them have been set to Nothing, either explicitly using
Set, or implicitly after the last object variable set to Nothing goes out of scope.
Example
' Word example
' create variable to store object reference
Dim objWord as Object
' create object and assign reference to variable
Set objWord = CreateObject( "Word.Document" )
' insert appropriate VBA code here to manipulate Word object
' release reference
Set objWord = Nothing
' Excel example
' create local variables
Dim objExcelApp As Object
Dim objExcelCht As Object
' create the app object and assign the reference
Set objExcelApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
Chapter 2: Understanding CitectVBA Language Basics 69

' create a chart and assign the reference

Set objExcelCht = objExcelApp.Charts.Add()
' insert appropriate VBA code here to manipulate Excel objects
' delete the objects
Set objExcelApp = Nothing
Set objExcelCht = Nothing
See Also Using OLE automation objects

File Input/Output with CitectVBA

CitectVBA supports full sequential and binary file Input/Output (I/O).
Files stored on disk, can contain text (ASCII) characters or binary (ones and
zeros) digits. All CitectVBA files that contain CitectVBA code are stored as text
files. However, you can use CitectVBA to store and retrieve files in either format,
using CitectVBA file I/O functions and statements.
The File I/O functions predefined in CitectVBA are:
ChDir, ChDrive, Close, CurDir, Dir, EOF, FileCopy, FileLen,
FreeFile, Get #, GetAttr, Input #, Kill, Line Input #, Loc, LOF,
MkDir, RmDir, Name, Open, Print #, Put, Seek, SetAttr, Write #.
For details of all predefined CitectVBA functions, see CitectVBA Function
Reference.
Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with
CitectSCADA

You can integrate CitectVBA into your CitectSCADA project in two ways:
Use CitectVBA code script directly in your Command or Expression fields
within CitectSCADA.
Store user-defined CitectVBA script in a separate CitectVBA file.
In either case, all procedures within a CitectVBA script can access (read and
write) any CitectSCADA variable tag in the same way as Cicode can access
CitectSCADA tags.
See Also Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA

Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA

CitectVBA can use your CitectSCADA project variable tag and alarm tag
variables in the same way as could Cicode (except for syntax differences). Both
programming languages refer to a project's variable tags by using the name of
the tags as defined in the project.
Note: Project variable tags are defined (in CitectSCADA) by using the Variable
Tags form in the Citect Project Editor. For details, see Adding a Variable Tag.
For instance, in the following example, two variable tags in your CitectSCADA
project may be named B1_PUMP_101_SP and B1_PUMP_101_PV respectively,
representing the Set Point and Process Variable values of Pump 101. These
variable tag names can be used within a CitectVBA statement (just as you would
use any other variable in CitectVBA). Both values can be read-from and written-
to directly using CitectVBA:
' set pump speed to 500rpm
B1_PUMP_101_SP = 500
' calculate pump speed error
Dim varPumpSpeedError
varPumpSpeedError = B1_PUMP_101_PV - B1_PUMP_101_SP
Note: CitectVBA does not recognize CitectSCADA variable tags that are named
with an initial digit (0–9).
To access such tags using CitectVBA, you must precede the tag name with a
case-insensitive string containing the letters 'V', 'B,' and the underscore character
(VB_) as in the following example:
72 Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA

CitectSCADA Tag Name:"123Pump"

CitectVBA reference "VB_123Pump"
to the CitectSCADA tag.
For details about accessing ActiveX objects using CitectVBA, see Accessing
ActiveX Objects with CitectVBA. For details of using tags that have a number as
their first digit in your CitectSCADA project, consider using the
[General]TagStartDigit Citect.INI parameter.

Using CitectVBA in CitectSCADA Command or Expression fields

CitectSCADA expects that all code contained within a CitectSCADA Command
or Expression field to be Cicode by default. When using CitectVBA code script
directly in a CitectSCADA Command or Expression field within CitectSCADA,
you must precede the CitectVBA script with the keyword CiVBA, as shown
here:
CiVBA
TestTag_1 = TestTag_1 + 1
This is known as the language override command. When the CitectSCADA
compiler reads the keyword CiVBA, it knows to handle that code (within the
same CitectSCADA Command or Expression field) as CitectVBA script, and
compiles it as such. No such override command is required to use Cicode.
The CiVBA language override statement must be placed first in the
CitectSCADA Command or Expression field if you want to use CitectVBA script
code instead of Cicode in that CitectSCADA Command or Expression field.
Note: You must use either Cicode or CitectVBA in a CitectSCADA Command or
Expression field. You cannot change or swap between the two programming
languages (within the same CitectSCADA Command or Expression field) once
you've started using one or the other.
You can, however, call a single Cicode function from within CitectVBA script if
you wrap the Cicode call within special CitectVBA functions CicodeCallOpen()
and CicodeCallReturn(). For details, see Calling Cicode from CitectVBA.
Alternatively, to call a single CitectVBA function (from within the CitectSCADA
Command or Expression field) after you have already used Cicode in that field,
you can wrap the CitectVBA within three nested special Cicode functions:
VbCallOpen(), VbCallRun() and VbCallReturn(). See Calling Cicode from
CitectVBA.
See Also Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA
Accessing ActiveX Objects with CitectVBA
Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA 73

Multithread Considerations with CitectVBA

Calling CitectVBA from Cicode
Calling Cicode from CitectVBA

Accessing ActiveX Objects with CitectVBA

ActiveX objects which have been added to a graphics page in your CitectSCADA
project can be referred to in CitectVBA by constructing a unique reference name
using the page name, the underscore character, the letters 'AN', and the
animation number of the object.
This reference name is called the Event Class name in CitectSCADA. To view
the reference name, double-click the ActiveX object, select the Access tab, then
click the Identification tab.

In this example, the reference name for the Temperature meter object on the
ActiveX page in the Example project, would be referred to in CitectVBA as
ActiveX_AN125.
All object properties can be accessed and manipulated using CitectVBA in the
same way that object properties can be manipulated using Cicode.
See Also Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA
Using CitectVBA in CitectSCADA Command or Expression fields

Multithread Considerations with CitectVBA

Cicode is pre-empted and executed on an instruction-by-instruction basis. This
means that execution of a simple unnested Cicode thread can only switch to
another thread after the current Cicode instruction has completed execution.
CitectVBA code is pre-empted and executed on a line-by-line basis (as opposed
to an instruction-by-instruction basis), and pre-empting can only occur after the
current line has completed execution.
Each line of CitectVBA script is handled as a separate thread in CitectSCADA.
Therefore multiple procedures placed on one line may not complete before
74 Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA

another subsequent thread is processed in a multithreading environment. This

could cause unpredictable results and consequences, including data invalidation
and corruption.
If, for example, you were reading or setting some variable or point in a multi-
statement thread, and further processing that data in a later thread, the validity
of the data could not be guaranteed. For this reason, you should separate every
statement onto separate lines in CitectVBA.
For example, it is better to write:
A = Motor1.speed() + Motor4.speed() + Motor5.speed()
as
A = Motor1.speed()
A = A + Motor4.speed()
A = A + Motor5.speed()
in situations where the method speed() may take a long time to execute.
In the first example above, the CitectVBA thread executes for three times longer
before it can be pre-empted than in the latter example.
Note: This is not an issue with Cicode because the Cicode engine can pre-empt
aggregated code.
For information on multithreading in CitectSCADA, see Multitasking.
See Also Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA
Using CitectVBA in CitectSCADA Command or Expression fields
Calling CitectVBA from Cicode
Calling Cicode from CitectVBA

Calling CitectVBA from Cicode

Three new Cicode functions allow CitectVBA code to be called from within
Cicode script, and be pre-emptively multitasked by CitectSCADA. These calls
VbCallOpen(), VbCallRun(), and VbCallReturn() can be nested to implement
the entire function set with a single line of Cicode.
Note: When using the CiVBA language override in a Command field, the
compiler constructs the nested call for you. The same mechanism is used even
though it is not self evident. For details, see Using CitectVBA in CitectSCADA
Command or Expression fields.
For information on multithreading in CitectVBA, see Multithread
Considerations with CitectVBA.
To call a given CitectVBA function or subroutine from Cicode, use the
VbCallOpen function. This returns a handle which can then be used to execute
the call by passing it to the VbCallRun function. Upon return from VbCallRun,
Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA 75

you can call the VbCallReturn function to get the return value of the CitectVBA
function called.
The Cicode VbCallOpen() function is used to initiate a call to the CitectVBA
function or subroutine, and returns a handle to the open function.
<ReturnValue> = VbCallOpen(<FunctName>, <ArgList>)
where
<ReturnValue> represents the handle to the opened function.

<FunctName> represents the name of the CitectVBA function or subroutine

being called.
<ArgList> represents a comma separated list of arguments to pass to the
opened CitectVBA function or subroutine named in <FunctName>.
The Cicode VbCallRun() function is used to execute the CitectVBA function or
subroutine (previously opened with the Cicode VbCallOpen function), and
requires the handle returned from the VbCallOpen function call. The VbCallRun
function provides an opportunity for the opened CitectVBA function to
complete and return a value in the multi-threaded CitectSCADA environment.
It passes its argument value (of OBJECT data type) through as its return value
upon completion.
<ReturnValue> = VbCallRun(<CallHandle>)
where:
<ReturnValue> represents the handle to the opened CitectVBA function
passed through for the <CallHandle> argument.
<CallHandle> represents the handle to the previously opened CitectVBA
function as returned by the Cicode VbCallOpen function.
The Cicode VbCallReturn() function is used to obtain the return value of the
completed CitectVBA function (previously opened with the Cicode VbCallOpen
function), and requires the handle returned from the VbCallRun function call.
<ReturnValue> = VbCallReturn(<CallHandle>)
where:
<ReturnValue> represents the value returned by the completed CitectVBA
function (which was previously opened by the Cicode VbCallOpen
function). The data type of the return value is dependent upon the data type
of the return value for the CitectVBA function opened.
<CallHandle> represents the handle to the previously opened CitectVBA
function as returned by the Cicode VbCallRun function.
76 Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA

Example
FUNCTION
TestCitectVBA()
INT iRet;
STRING sMsg = "Hello";
INT iVal = 123;
iRet = VbCallReturn(VbCallRun(VbCallOpen("CiVBATest", iVal)));
Message("TestCitectVBA Function", "CiVBATest = " +
IntToStr(iRet), 0);
END
Example
Function CiVBATest(Value As Integer) As Integer
CiVBATest = Value * 2
End Function

Calling Cicode from CitectVBA

Calling a Cicode function from CitectVBA is accomplished by two CitectVBA
functions: CicodeCallOpen() and CicodeCallReturn().
To call a given Cicode function, use the CicodeCallOpen function which will
create and execute a Cicode thread that runs the function. For multitasking
purposes, a separate function CicodeCallReturn is used to obtain the return-
value of the completed Cicode function most recently called by the
CicodeCallOpen function.
Calls to CicodeCallOpen and CicodeCallReturn must not be nested. The
return value is initialized when control is returned to the CitectSCADA kernel.
This occurs only after completion of the line of CitectVBA code containing
CicodeCallOpen. For details on multithreading in CitectVBA, see Multithread
Considerations with CitectVBA.
To call a given Cicode function or subroutine from CitectVBA, use the
CicodeCallOpen function. Upon return from CicodeCallOpen, you can call the
CicodeCallReturn function to obtain the return value of the Cicode function
called.
The CicodeCallOpen function is a CitectVBA function used to call a Cicode
function from CitectVBA. It is used to initiate and execute a call to the Cicode
function and returns an integer value representing the success or failure of this
CitectVBA function making the call.
<ReturnValue> = CicodeCallOpen(<FunctName>, <ArgList>)
where:
Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA 77

<ReturnValue> represents the return value of:

0 if CicodeCallOpen function was successful

1 for CicodeCallOpen function failure
2 for specified Cicode function not found
3 for incorrect number of arguments for specified Cicode function
passed in <ArgList>.
<FunctName> is a string representing the name of the Cicode function being
called. The function name should be enclosed in double quotes.
<ArgList> represents a variable length comma separated argument list of
all the arguments to be passed to the Cicode function being opened
(dependant upon which Cicode function is being called and the arguments
that Cicode function requires). The argument list should not be enclosed
within brackets, although when using variable names as arguments, those
variable arguments within the list must be individually enclosed within
brackets to force the passing of the variable to Cicode by value.
The CicodeCallReturn function is a CitectVBA function used to obtain the
return value of the most recently completed Cicode function opened with the
CitectVBA CicodeCallOpen function.
<ReturnValue> = CicodeCallReturn()
where:
<ReturnValue> represents the return value of the Cicode function specified
in the most recent call of the CicodeCallOpen function. Note that the return
data type of CicodeCallReturn will depend upon the return data type of
the Cicode function called in the most recent call of the CicodeCallOpen
function.
No arguments are passed to the CicodeCallReturn function, as it will always
return the result of the most recent return-value for the Cicode function called
by the CitectVBA CicodeCallOpen function.
Note: In the following example, a CitectVBA variable is enclosed in brackets to
force the passing of the variable by value. See Passing variables Byref and Byval.
CitectVBA Example
' declare modular variant variable to store function results
Dim vntRet as Variant
Function TestCicode() As Integer
' declare local variables
Dim intRet As Integer
Dim strReply as String
Dim intMaxScale as Integer
78 Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA

' copy current tag value to variable

' uses the project variable tag named MAX_SCALE
intMaxScale = MAX_SCALE
' call Cicode function
' for example: TrnSetScale( AN, Pen, Percent, Scale)
intRet = CicodeCallOpen( "TrnSetScale", 53, -1, 100, (IntMaxScale) )
' Note the syntax used:
'- brackets around the CitectVBA function argument list
'(Only necessary when the CitectVBA function is preceded by an equals (=) sign .)
' - double quotes around the Cicode function name
'- no brackets around the Cicode function argument list
'- brackets around individual variable arguments
' test results
If intRet = 0 Then
'
' insert code for successful completion here
'
vntRet = CicodeCallReturn()
strReply = "CicodeCallOpen Function successfully called"
Else
'
' insert code for unsuccessful completion here
'
Select Case intRet
Case = 1
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "CicodeCallOpen Function call failed"

Case = 2
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "Cicode Function not found"
Case = 3
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "Wrong number of arguments "_
& "in Cicode CallOpen function call"
Case Else
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "Unknown error"
Chapter 3: Integrating CitectVBA with CitectSCADA 79

End Select
End If
' display return comment for your information
MsgBox strReply
' assign return value for this function
TestCicode = intRet
End Function
See Also Calling CitectVBA from Cicode
Chapter 4: Using the CitectVBA Test Project

You can use the CitectVBA test project to help you learn the basics programming
with CitectVBA. Before you can use the project, you must:
Create the test project
Open the test project
Set up test project communications
Set up the test project computer
Add a variable tag to the project
Set up a graphics page to the project

Creating the Test Project

Creating the project requires you to specify the destination folder for the test
project so that CitectSCADA can find it.
To create the CitectVBA test project
1 Start CitectSCADA (if not already started).
2 Click the Citect Explorer button.
3 Choose New Project from the File menu, or click the New Project button.
4 In the Name field, type CitectVBA Test.
5 In the Location field, check that the path is displaying the project name as a
subfolder name beneath the User folder. The User folder is the parent folder
where CitectSCADA expects all projects to be stored in separate subfolders.
Note: The name of the project should be appended as a sub folder name to
the User folder.
Your path may differ from that shown here (C:\Citect\) depending upon the
actual path of your CitectSCADA installation.
82 Chapter 4: Using the CitectVBA Test Project

6 Click OK. The test project has been created.

Opening the Test Project

You open the test project from Citect Explorer.
To open the CitectVBA test project
1 Start CitectSCADA (if not already started).
2 Click the Citect Explorer button.
3 From the Project List, click on the folder named CitectVBA Test.

Note: CitectSCADA stores the most recently opened project name in the
Citect.ini file, so that the next time CitectSCADA is started, that project
opens automatically ready for further editing.
See Also Setting up Test Project Communications
Chapter 4: Using the CitectVBA Test Project 83

Setting up Test Project Communications

You only need to perform this procedure once for the test project.
To set up test project communications
1 Open the test project.
2 Click the Citect Explorer button.
3 Double-click the Communications folder.
4 Double-click the Express I/O Device Setup button.
5 Select Next and click the Create a New I/O Server check box.
6 In the Name field, replace the default name IOServer_1 with
CiVBAIOServer.
Note: CitectSCADA stores the communication details as records in a
database. Each record name is limited to a maximum of 16 characters. These
records are accessible with the Citect Project Editor.
7 Select Next and click the Create a New I/O Device check box.
8 In the Name field, replace the default name IODev with CiVBAIODevice.
9 Click Next and click the Memory I/O Device check box.
10 Click Next to accept the default CitectSCADA Generic Protocol.
11 Click Next to accept the default remaining unlinked to any external tag
database.
12 Select Next and Finish to create the CitectVBA Project communications.
See Also Setting up the Test Project Computer

Setting up the Test Project Computer

You need to set up the test project computer only once for the project.
To set up the CitectVBA test project computer
1 Open the CitectVBA Test Project.
2 Click the Citect Explorer button.
3 In the project list column, click the root computer icon named My Projects.
4 Double-click the Computer Setup Wizard button. (You can also click the
Computer Setup button, or choose Computer Setup from the Tools menu.).
5 Select Next accepting the Express Setup default.
6 Select Next accepting the Standalone Computer - Server and Display
Client default.
84 Chapter 4: Using the CitectVBA Test Project

7 From the Project Name list, select CitectVBA Test and click Next.
8 Click Next and then Finish to complete the CitectVBA project
communications setup.
See Also Adding a Variable Tag

Adding a Variable Tag

You need to add a variable tag only once for the project.
To add a variable tag to the CitectVBA test project
1 Open the CitectVBA test project.
2 Click the Project Editor button.
3 Click the Variable Tags button.
4 In the Variable Tag Name field, replace the default name Tag_1 with
TestTag_1.
Note: CitectSCADA stores the communication details as records in a
database. Each record name is limited to a maximum of 16 characters.
5 In the I/O Device Name field, check that the device name selected is
CiVBAIODevice. (If other I/O Devices have been created for this project,
they will display in this menu.)
6 In the Data Type field, select INT from the menu.
7 In the Address field, type I1 (the capital letter i and the number one).
8 Click Add.
See Also Adding a Graphics Page

Adding a Graphics Page

Adding a test page to your test project allows you to view the features of the
Citect Graphics Builder.
To add a graphics page to the CitectVBA test project
1 In Citect Explorer, double-click the Graphics folder.
2 Double-click the Create a new page button in the Pages folder, or click the
Graphics Builder button.
3 Click New, and then click Page.
The Graphics Builder appears showing the templates that are available.
Accept the default template and click OK.
See Also Saving Your Graphics Page
Chapter 4: Using the CitectVBA Test Project 85

Saving Your Graphics Page

To save a graphics page, you must give it a name.
To save the graphics page
1 Click Save.
2 In the Page field on the Page tab, replace the default name Untitled1 with
Startup. When you start this project, this page will be displayed by default.
3 Click OK.
See Also Opening the Graphics Page

Opening the Graphics Page

Opening the graphics page allows you to edit the page.
To open the CitectVBA test project graphics page
1 Choose Open from the File menu in Graphics Builder, or click Open.
2 In the Project field on the Page tab, change to the CitectVBA Test project (if
not already selected).
3 In the Page field on the Page tab, select the file named Startup.
4 Click OK.
Note: Double clicking a graphic page icon in the Citect Explorer launches the
Citect Graphics Builder and displays the selected graphics page.
See Also Accessing Cicode Tags with CitectVBA
Chapter 5: Function and Statement
Categories

Array Functions
CitectVBA array functions are provided to allow you to declare, resize, initialize,
populate, and erase arrays and their elements.
The array functions predefined in CitectVBA are:
Dim Allocates storage for, and declares the data type of, variables and arrays in a module.
Erase Reinitializes the elements of a fixed array.
Lbound Returns the smallest available subscript for the dimension of the indicated array.
Option Base Declares the default lower bound for array subscripts.
ReDim Used to size or resize a dynamic array that has already been declared using the Dim
statement with empty parentheses.
Ubound Returns the value of the largest usable subscript for the specified dimension of an array.

Conditional Statements
Do Loop Allows you to execute a block of statements an indefinite number of times.
End Function Ends a block of statements such as a Sub procedure or function.
Exit Exits a loop or procedure.
For Repeats its block of statements a set number of times as determined by the values used
with the To clause.
Goto Branches unconditionally and without return to the label specified in the GoTo statement.
If Tests an initial condition and then either performs or omits to perform the statements it
contains, dependant upon the logical result of the test condition.
OnError CitectVBAs error-handling routine and specifies the line label of the error-handling routine.
Select Tests the same variable for many different conditions.
Stop Ends execution of the program.
While…Wend Similar to the Do While loop statement.
With Not supported in CitectVBA.

Conversion Functions
CitectVBA conversion functions are provided to assist with data manipulation
and calculation in your formulas. Conversion functions can be used in
CitectVBA statements, and will (like all other functions), return a value to the
caller.
88 Chapter 5: Function and Statement Categories

ASCII character code Citect uses the following character code conversion funnctions:
conversion Asc Returns the numeric ASCII value of a string.
Chr Returns the string ASCII value of a number.

Date conversion Citect uses the following date conversion functions:

CDate Converts an expression to a variant of date data type.
CDbl Converts an expression to a double data type.
CInt Converts an expression to a integer data type.
CLng Converts an expression to a long data type.
CSng Converts an expression to a single data type.
CStr Converts an expression to a string data type.
CVar Converts an expression to a variant data type.

Date and time Citect uses the following formatting/conversion functions:

formatting/conversion DateSerial Constructs a date value.
TimeSerial Constructs an time value.

Number and string Citect uses the following functions for converting and formatting numbers and
conversion strings:
Format Formats a string, number, or variant to the format expression (fmt ).
Hex Converts a value to a string representing the hex value.
Oct Converts a value to a string representing the octal value.
Str Converts a value to a string containing numeric characters.
Val Converts a string containing numeric characters to a numeric value.

Declarations
CitectVBA declarations allow you to manipulate and control variables and
constants. The Declaration functions and statements predefined in CitectVBA
are:
CreateObject function Creates an OLE Automation object reference
Const statement Assigns a symbolic name to a constant value.
Declare statement Declare references to external procedures in a DLL.
Dim statement Allocates storage for, and declares the data type of, variables and arrays.
IsDate Determines if a Variant parameter can be converted to a date.
IsEmpty Determines if a Variant parameter has been initialized.
IsNull Determines if a Variant contains NULL.
IsNumeric Determines if a Variant can be converted to a numeric data type.
Nothing keyword Releases an OLE Automation object reference from a variable of object
type.
Chapter 5: Function and Statement Categories 89

Option Base statement Declares the default lower bound for array subscripts.
Option Compare statement Determines the default string comparison method. Forces explicit
declaration of all variables.
ReDim statement Used to size or resize a dynamic array.
Set statement Assigns an OLE Automation object reference to a variable of object type.
Static statement Allocates storage for, and declares the data type of, variables and arrays.
VarType Indicates the data type used within the Variant.

Date and Time Functions

CitectVBA date and time functions let you make use of your computer's system
time and date.
The date and time functions predefined in CitectVBA are:
Date function Determines the current system date according to the setting of the
computer's system time.
Date statement Sets the current system date.
DateSerial function Constructs a date value.
DateValue function Calculates a date.
Day function Calculates the day.
Hour function Extracts the hours value from an expression (Time ).
Minute function Extracts the minutes value from an expression (Time ).
Month function Calculates the month.
Now function Determines the current date and time according to the setting of the
computer's system date and time.
Second function Extracts the seconds value from an expression (Time ).
Time function Determines the current time according to the setting of the computer's
system time.
Time (statement) Sets the current system time.
Timer event Used to track elapsed time.
TimeSerial function Constructs an time value.
TimeValue function Calculates a time.
WeekDay function Calculates the weekday value of a date.
Year function Calculates the year.

File I/O Functions

CitectVBA file Input/Output (I/O) functions are provided to enable read and
write disk file functionality.
90 Chapter 5: Function and Statement Categories

The file I/O functions predefined in CitectVBA are:

ChDir Changes the system environment current directory on the specified drive.
ChDrive Changes the system environment current drive to the specified drive.
Close Closes the file/s previously opened with the Open statement.
CurDir, CurDir$ Returns the current system environment path for the specified drive (Drv ).
Dir Returns a file or directory name that matches the given File and Attrib
arguments.
EOF Returns a boolean True or False value during file access that indicates
whether the current position of an open file has reached the end of the file.
FileCopy Copies a file from Src to Dest.
FileLen Determines the byte length of a file.
FreeFile Retrieves the next sequential system file number available for association
with a file.
Get # Reads data from a disk file into a variable.
GetAttr Returns an Integer representing the attribute settings of a file, directory, or
volume.
Input Reads data from a Sequential file and assigns that data to variables. Input
function returns characters from a file opened in Input or Binary mode.
Kill Deletes files from disk.
Line Input # Reads a single line from an open sequential file and assigns it to a String
variable.
Loc Returns a number indicating the current position within a file opened using
the Open statement.
LOF Returns a number indicating the byte length of a sequential file opened using
the Open statement.
MkDir Creates the directory specified in the Path parameter.
Name Renames the disk file specified in the OldFileName parameter, to the name
specified in the NewFileName parameter.
Open Enables input/output (I/O) to a disk file.
Print (function) Displays a message in the Citect Kernel and the Cicode Editor output
window.
Print # Reads data from OutputList and writes that data to a sequential file.
Put # Writes data from a variable to a disk file.
RmDir Deletes the directory specified in the Path parameter.
Seek Sets the current position within a file opened using the Open statement,
ready for the next read or write action.
Write # Writes data to a Sequential file opened in output or append mode and reads
that data from a list of variables.

Math/Trigonometry Functions
CitectVBA math functions are provided to assist with number manipulation and
calculation in your formulas. Mathematical functions can be used in CitectVBA
Chapter 5: Function and Statement Categories 91

statements, and will (like all other functions), return a value to the caller.

Numeric functions Citect uses the following predefined numeric functions:

Abs returns the absolute value of a number (Num ).
Exp returns base log (e) to the power of (Num ).
Fix returns the Integer value of a number (Num ).
Int returns the Integer value of a number (Num ).
Log returns the natural log of a number (Num ).
Rnd returns a random value influenced by (Num ).
Sgn returns a value indicating the Sign of (Num ).
Sqrt returns the square root value of a number (Num ).

Trigonometric functions Citect uses the following trigonometric functions:

Atn returns the Arctangent value of a number (Num ).
Cos returns the Cosine value of angle (Rad ).
Sin returns the Sine value of angle (Rad ).
Tan returns the Tangent value of angle (Rad ).

Trigonometry uses angles and ratios, axes, degrees, Pi, radians and angular
conversions. CitectVBA supports the use of Decimal numbers by default, as well
as Hexadecimal and Octal numbers. See Numbers.
When using numbers in CitectVBA, you must consider the data type of the
variables that hold and store the numbers, as well as the behaviour of CitectVBA
when dealing with numbers. See Numeric Data Types.

Miscellaneous Functions
The miscellaneous functions predefined in CitectVBA are:
Beep statement Sounds a tone through the computer's speaker.
Randomize statement Initializes the random number generator.
Rem statement Used to include explanatory remarks in a program.
SendKeys statement Sends keystrokes to the active window as if entered at the keyboard.
92 Chapter 5: Function and Statement Categories

Procedural Statements
CitectVBA procedural function statements are provided to assist with
conditional code execution and program flow:
Call statement Transfers control to a Sub procedure, function procedure, or dynamic-link
library (DLL) procedure.
Function statement Declares and defines a procedure that can receive arguments and return a
value of a specified data type.
End Function statement Ends a program or a block of statements within a function.
Sub statement Declares and defines a Sub procedures name, parameters and code.
End Sub statement Ends a program or a block of statements within a subroutine.
CicodeCallOpen function Calls a Cicode function from CitectVBA.
CicodeCallReturn function Obtains the return value of the most recently completed Cicode function
opened with the CitectVBA CicodeCallOpen function.

Cicode functions used to handle CitectVBA functions and statements:

VbCallOpen function Opens a CitectVBA function or subroutine from Cicode.
VbCallRun function Runs the opened CitectVBA function or subroutine from Cicode.
VbCallReturn function Obtains the return value of the completed CitectVBA function previously
opened with the Cicode VbCallOpen function.

String Functions
CitectVBA strings functions are provided to create, edit and implement strings
within CitectVBA code. The strings functions predefined in CitectVBA are:
Asc Returns a numeric value that is the ASCII code for the first character in a
string.
Chr Converts an ASCII number to a one character string.
InStr Returns the character position of the first occurrence of string2 within
string1.
LCase Returns a copy of string in which all characters have been converted to
lowercase.
Left, Left$ Returns the left most characters of a string parameter.
Len Returns the number of characters in a string.
LTrim Strips any leading spaces from a string variable.
Mid Returns a substring within a string.
Option Compare Determines the default string comparison method.
Right Returns the right most characters of a string parameter.
RTrim Strips any trailing spaces from a string variable.
Space Adds a specified number of spaces in a print statement.
StrComp Returns a variant that is the result of the comparison of two strings.
String Create a string that consists of one character repeated a specific number of
times.
Chapter 5: Function and Statement Categories 93

Trim Strips any leading and trailing spaces from Str variable.
UCase Returns a copy of string in which all characters have been converted to
uppercase.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

This chapter describes the predefined CitectVBA functions and statements.

Abs

Description Calculates the absolute (positive) value of a number. The absolute value of a
number is the number without its sign. Abs does not round the number, and
ignores the fractional value of the number.

Syntax Abs(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the Absolute value of the number (Num) provided in the argument.
The data type of the return value is the same as that of the number argument.
However, if the number argument is a Variant of VarType (String) and can be
converted to a number, the return value will be a Variant of VarType (Double).
If the numeric expression results in a Null, Abs returns a Null.

Related Functions Sgn

Example Variable=Abs(-67);! Sets Variable to 67.

Variable=Abs(67);! Sets Variable to 67.

Asc

Description Converts a text string character to its numeric ASCII code value. The Asc
function expects the argument (Str ) to be a valid string expression. If Str
contains no characters, a run-time error occurs. The Asc function performs the
opposite of the Chr function, which converts a number into its string character
ASCII code value.

Syntax Asc(Str)
Str . . .String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.
96 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Return Value Returns the numeric ASCII code value of the first character in (Str ) provided in
the argument.

Related Functions Chr

Example Dim vntVar ' declare result holder variable

vntVar = Asc("A")' returns 65
vntVar = Asc("Z")' returns 90
vntVar = Asc("a")' returns 97
vntVar = Asc("z")' returns 122
vntVar = Asc("Apple")' returns 65
vntVar = Asc("Zoe")' returns 90

Atn

Description Calculates the trigonometric Arctangent value of a Tangent number.

The Atn function expects the argument (Num) to be a valid tangent value
between the range of - Pi/2 to + Pi/2 (representing the ratio of the two sides of a
right-angle triangle), and calculates the corresponding angle in radians.
Atn is the inverse trigonometric function of Tan (which takes an angle as it's
argument, and returns the ratio of two sides of a right-angle triangle). Do not
confuse Atn with the Cotangent, which is the inverse of a Tangent (1/tangent).

Syntax Atn(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the Arctangent value of the angle (Num) provided in the argument.

Related Functions Cos Sin Tan

Example Dim Msg, Pi' Declare variables.

Pi = 4 * Atn(1)' Calculate Pi
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 97

Beep

Description The Beep statement sounds a tone through the computer's speaker. The
frequency and duration of the beep depends on hardware, which may vary
among computers.

Syntax Beep

Related Functions SendKeys

Example If (TestTag_1 <1) OR (TestTag_1 > 100) Then

Beep
Else
Startup_AN38.Value = TestTag_1
End If

Call

Description The Call Statement transfers control to a Sub procedure, Function procedure, or
dynamic-link library (DLL) procedure.
The required ProcedureName is the name of the function or subroutine to call.The
optional Parameters is the list of arguments to pass to the called function or
subroutine.
You are never required to use the Call statement when calling an CitectVBA
subroutine or a DLL function. Parentheses must be used in the argument list if
the Call statement is being used.

Syntax Call ProcedureName [Parameter(s)]

Related Functions End Function Sub End Sub Exit

Example Call Beep

CDate

Description Converts any valid date expression to a Date data type.

The CDate function expects the argument (Date ) to be a date expression (limited
to numbers or strings in any combination) that can represent a date from
January 1, 100 through December 31, 9999.
98 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Syntax CDate(Date)
Date . . . . . . . Date: The argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Date ) provided in the argument as a variant
with a vartype of 7 (date data type).

Related Functions CDbl CInt CLng CSng CStr CVar

Example Dim MybDate, MDate, MTime, MSTime

' Define date.
MybDate = "May 29, 1959"
' Convert to Date data type.
MDate = CDate(MybDate)
' Define time.
MTime = "10:32:27 PM"
' Convert to Date data type.
MSTime = CDate(MTime)

CDbl

Description Converts expressions to a double data type.

Syntax CDbl(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string. If
a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Exp) provided in the argument as a double
data type.

Related Functions CDate CInt CLng CSng CStr CVar

Example Dim x as integer

Dim z as double
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 99

z = CDbl(x)'Converts the integer value of x to a double value in z

ChDir

Description ChDir statement changes the system environment current directory on the
specified drive.
The parameter Path must be a string or expression that can represent a valid
DOS file structure path value. The parameter Dir must be a string or expression
that can represent a valid DOS file structure directory name. The Path and Dir
parameters together, must be limited to less than 128 characters. The Path drive
letter is optional, unless the directory is on another drive. The required Dir
parameter must be a valid directory name.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.
The ChDir statement changes the current directory but not the current drive. To
change the current drive, use the ChDrive statement.

Syntax ChDir Path Dir

Path . . . . . . . Path: The parameter 'Path ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid DOS file structure path value. This includes a
directory name, and may include a relative or static directory or
folder structure and drive letter, in the order:
[<driveletter>:][\<rootdirectoryname>][\<subdirectory> ...
\<subdirectory>\] directoryname
Note: The path can be relative to the current directory. A single dot
represents the current directory. ( . ) Two dots represent the parent directory
of the current directory. ( .. ) For example:
chdir .. ' changes to the parent directory of the current directory
chdir ..\test ' changes to the test subdirectory of the parent directory
Dir . . . . . . . . Directory: The parameter 'Dir ' must be a string or expression that
can represent a valid DOS file structure directory name. Dir is not
case sensitive. Dir is often used with the Path parameter.

Related Functions ChDrive CurDir, CurDir$ Dir MkDir RmDir

100 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Example Dim strPath as String

strPath = CurDir()' store current path
ChDir "\"' change to root dir on current drive
<statements>' do stuff in root directory
ChDir strPath' change back to previous path

ChDrive

Description Changes the system environment current drive to the specified drive.
The parameter Drv must be a string or expression that can represent a valid DOS
file structure drive letter. The Drv may be local to the computer, or mapped from
anywhere on the network connected to the computer. If Drv contains more than
one letter, only the first character is used.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.
The ChDrive statement changes the current drive but not the current directory
on any drive. To change the current directory, use the ChDir statement.

Syntax ChDrive Drv

Drv . . . . . . . Drive: The parameter 'Drv ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid DOS file structure drive letter. Drv is case
insensitive and must end with a colon ( : ). The Drv may be local to
the computer, or mapped from anywhere on the network
connected to the computer. Drv is often included as part of the Path
parameter.

Related Functions ChDir CurDir, CurDir$ Dir RmDir MkDir

Example Dim strCurPath as String

strCurPath = CurDir$()' store current path as string
ChDir "\"' change to root directory of current drive
<statements>' do stuff in root directory
ChDrive "C"' change to C drive (if not already there)
<statements>' do stuff in current directory on C drive
ChDrive strCurPath' change back to previous drive
ChDir strCurPath' change back to previous path
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 101

Chr

Description Converts a number into its string character ASCII code value.
The Chr function expects the argument (Num ) to be a valid numeric integer
(whole positive number within the range 0 to 255 inclusive). If Chr contains no
number, a run-time error occurs.
Note: Values 8, 9, 10, and 13 convert to backspace, tab, linefeed, and carriage
return characters respectively.
The Chr function performs the opposite of the Asc function, which converts a
text string character to it's numeric ASCII code value.

Syntax Chr(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns a single character string representing the ASCII character code value of
the number (Num) provided in the argument.

Related Functions Asc

Example Dim vntVar ' declare result holder variable

vntVar = Chr(65)' returns "A"
vntVar = Chr(97)' returns "a"
vntVar = Chr(90)' returns "Z"
vntVar = Chr(122)' returns "z"

CicodeCallOpen

Description The Cicode CallOpen function is used to call a Cicode function from CitectVBA.
It is used to initiate and execute a call to the Cicode function and returns an
integer value representing the success or failure of this CitectVBA function
making the call.
Note: This CitectVBA function does not return the actual return-value of the
Cicode function being called. You can obtain that return value by using the
associated CicodeCallReturn function.
The CicodeCallOpen function should be used in its own separate line of
CitectVBA code and must not be nested with the CicodeCallReturn function.
For details, see Calling Cicode from CitectVBA.
102 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Syntax <ReturnValue> = CicodeCallOpen(<FunctName>, <ArgList>)

where:
<ReturnValue> represents the return value for the function in the range of 0
to 3. <FunctName> represents the name of the Cicode function being called.
<ArgList> represents a variable length comma separated argument list of
all the arguments to be passed to the Cicode function being opened
(dependant upon which Cicode function is being called and the arguments
that Cicode function requires). The argument list should not be enclosed
within brackets, although when using variable names as arguments, those
variable arguments within the list must be individually enclosed within
brackets to force the passing of the variable to Cicode by value.

Return Value CicodeCallOpen returns a integer data type containing a value in the range of 0
to 3:
0 if CicodeCallOpen function was successful
1 for CicodeCallOpen function failure
2 for specified Cicode function not found
3 for incorrect number of arguments for specified Cicode function passed in
<ArgList>.

Related Functions CicodeCallReturn

Example In the following example, a CitectVBA variable is enclosed in brackets to force

the passing of the variable by value. See Passing variables Byref and Byval.
Dim vntRet as Variant
' declare modular variant variable to store function results
Function TestCicode() As Integer
' declare local variables
Dim intRet As Integer
Dim strReply as String
Dim intMaxScale as Integer
' copy current tag value to variable
' uses the project variable tag named MAX_SCALE
intMaxScale = MAX_SCALE
' call Cicode function
' for example: TrnSetScale( AN, Pen, Percent, Scale)
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 103

intRet = CicodeCallOpen( "TrnSetScale", 53, -1, 100, (IntMaxScale)

)
' Note the syntax used:
' - brackets around the CitectVBA function argument list.
' (This is only necessary when the CitectVBA function is preceded
by an equals (=) sign .)
' - double quotes around the Cicode function name
' - no brackets around the Cicode function argument list
' - brackets around individual variable arguments
' test results
If intRet = 0 Then
'
' insert code for successful completion here
'
vntRet = CicodeCallReturn()
strReply = "CicodeCallOpen Function successfully called"
Else
'
' insert code for unsuccessful completion here
'
Select Case intRet
Case = 1
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "CicodeCallOpen Function call failed"

End Select
End If
' display return comment for your information
MsgBox strReply
' assign return value for this function
TestCicode = intRet
End Function

CicodeCallReturn

Description The CicodeCallReturn function is used to obtain the return value of the most
recently completed Cicode function opened and run with the CitectVBA
CicodeCallOpen function.
No arguments are passed to the CicodeCallReturn function, as it will always
return the result of the most recent return-value for the Cicode function called
by the CitectVBA CicodeCallOpen function.
The CicodeCallReturn function should be used in its own separate line of
CitectVBA code and must not be nested with the CicodeCallOpen function. For
details, see Calling Cicode from CitectVBA.

Syntax <ReturnValue> = CicodeCallReturn()

where:
<ReturnValue> represents the return value of the Cicode function specified
in the most recent call of the CicodeCallOpen function. Note that the return
data type of CicodeCallReturn will depend upon the return data type of the
completed Cicode function most recently called by the CicodeCallOpen
function.
Return Value: CicodeCallReturn returns the return-value of the completed
Cicode function most recently called by the CicodeCallOpen function.

Related Functions CicodeCallOpen

Example ' declare modular variant variable to store function results

Dim vntRet as Variant
Function TestCicode() As Integer
' declare local variables
Dim intRet As Integer
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 105

Dim strReply as String

Dim intMaxScale as Integer
' copy current tag value to variable
' uses the project variable tag named MAX_SCALE
intMaxScale = MAX_SCALE
' call Cicode function
' for example: TrnSetScale( AN, Pen, Percent, Scale)
intRet = CicodeCallOpen( "TrnSetScale", 53, -1, 100, (IntMaxScale)
)
' Note the syntax used:
' - brackets around the CitectVBA function argument list
' - double quotes around the Cicode function name
' - no brackets around the Cicode function argument list
' - brackets around individual variable arguments

' test results

If intRet = 0 Then

'
' insert code for successful completion here
'
vntRet = CicodeCallReturn()
strReply = "CicodeCallOpen Function successfully called"
Else
'
' insert code for unsuccessful completion here
'
Select Case intRet
Case = 1
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "CicodeCallOpen Function call failed"
Case = 2
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "Cicode Function not found"
106 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Case = 3
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "Wrong number of arguments "_
& "in Cicode CallOpen function call"
Case Else
' assign return comment for this case
strReply = "Unknown error"
End Select
End If

' display return comment for your information

MsgBox strReply
' assign return value for this function
TestCicode = intRet

End Function

CInt

Description Converts expressions to an integer data type.

Syntax CInt(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string. If
a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Exp) provided in the argument as an integer
data type.

Related Functions CDate CDbl CLng CSng CStr CVar

Example Dim x as integer

Dim y as long
x = CInt(y)'Converts the long value of y to an integer value in x
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 107

CLng

Description Converts expressions to a long data type.

Syntax CLng(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string.
If a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Exp) provided in the argument as a long
data type.

Related Functions CDate CDbl CInt CSng CStr CVar

Example Dim x as integer

Dim y as long
y = CLng(x)'Converts the integer value of x to an long value in y

Description Closes the file/s previously opened with the Open statement.
The optional FileNumList parameter can contain one or more valid file associated
reference numbers using the following syntax:
[[#]FileNum] [, [#]FileNum] ...
where Filenum is any valid number associated with an open file.
If the Close statement is used without any arguments it closes all open files.
When the Close statement is executed, the association of a file with its file
number ends.

Syntax Close FileNumList

FileNumList File Number List: The argument 'FileNumList ' must contain one or
more valid integer or numeric expression values representing
associated file numbers using the following syntax:
[[#]filenumber] [, [#]filenumber] ... where filenumber is any valid
number associated with an open file.

Related Functions FileCopy FreeFile Kill Name Open

108 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Example Dim strFileContents As String

Dim strTemp As String
Open "c:\test.txt" For Input As #1' open file.
Do While Not EOF(1)' loop until end of file
strTemp = Input(10, #1)' read next ten characters
strFileContents = strFileContents & strTemp' join strings
Loop
Close #1

Const

Description Assigns a symbolic name to a constant value using the following syntax:
Const VarName [As DataType] = Expression
A constant must be defined before it is used. Unlike variables, constants are
assigned values when initialized and retain that same value during the life of the
constant.
Constant statements can only be declared and assigned using simple
expressions. Constants can NOT be assigned values from variables, user-defined
functions, intrinsic CitectVBA functions (such as Chr), or from any expression
that involves an operator.
Constants declared in a Sub or Function procedure are local to that procedure. A
constant declared outside a procedure has modular scope to all procedures
within the same CitectVBA file module. See Scope of CitectVBA.
Constants can be used anywhere in your CitectVBA code where you could use a
CitectVBA expression.
If you use Const outside a procedure its scope becomes global.
A type declaration character may also be used. However if none is used,
CitectVBA will automatically assign one of the following data types to the
constant: long (if it is a long or integer); Double (if a decimal place is present); or
String ( if it is a string).

Syntax Const(VarName, Exp)

VarName . . . Variable Name: The argument 'VarName ' must be a string
representing a valid variable name.
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 109

If a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant

containing a value recognizable as a number.

Related Functions Dim ReDim Static

Example ' Correct declaration examples

' long assignment
Const Seven = 7
' double assignment
Const Pi = 3.14159
' string assignment
Const Lab = "Laboratory"

' Incorrect declaration examples

' NOTE that the following declarations demonstrate incorrect
assignments
' because each contains an operator
Const conPi = 4 * Atn(1)
' will cause a CitectVBA compile error
Const conDegToRad = (conPi / 180)
' will cause a CitectVBA compile error

Cos

Description Calculates the trigonometric Cosine value of an angle.

The Cos function expects the argument (Rad) to be a valid angle value in radians,
and calculates the ratio of the two sides of a right-angle triangle on either side of
the angle. The ratio is the length of the side adjacent to the angle divided by the
length of the hypotenuse.
Note: To convert degrees to radians, multiply degrees by Pi/180. To convert
radians to degrees, multiply radians by 180/Pi.

Syntax Cos(Rad)
Rad . . . . . . . Radians: The argument 'Rad ' must be expressed in radians, and
must be a valid numeric value.
110 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Return Value Returns the Cosine value of the angle (Rad) provided in the argument.
The result lies in the range - 1 to +1.
Cos will return a double.

Related Functions Atn Sin Tan

Example Variable=Cos(0.7854);! Sets Variable to 0.7071...

CreateObject

Description Creates a new OLE Automation object and assigns a reference to the object.

Syntax Set <objVarName> = CreateObject(<objClassName>)

where:
Set is the required reference assignment statement keyword.

<objVarName> represents the required name of the variable receiving the

reference.
CreateObject is the required object declaration function keyword.

( ) defines the required argument section of the function.

<objClassName> represents the required class name of the object to be

created.
The object variable (<objVarName>) must be declared before it can be set to
reference an OLE Automation object.

Related Functions Dim Set

Example ' create variable to store object reference

Dim objWord as Object
' create object and assign reference to variable
Set objWord = CreateObject( "Word.Document" )
' insert appropriate VBA code here to manipulate Word object
' release reference
Set objWord = Nothing.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 111

CSng

Description Converts expressions to a single data type.

Syntax CSng(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string.
If a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Exp) provided in the argument as a single
data type.

Related Functions CDate CDbl CInt CLng CStr CVar

Example Dim x as integer

Dim s as single
s = CSng(x)'Converts the integer value of x to a single value in s

CStr

Description Converts expressions to a string data type.

Syntax CStr(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string.
If a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Exp) provided in the argument as a string
data type.

Related Functions CDate CDbl CInt CLng CStr CVar CSng

Example Dim x as integer

Dim t as string
t = CStr(x)'Converts the integer value of x to a string value in t
112 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

CurDir, CurDir$

Description Both CurDir and CurDir$ functions return the current system environment path
for the specified drive (Drv ).
The parameter Drv must be a string or expression that can represent a valid DOS
file structure drive letter. The Drv may be local to the computer, or mapped from
anywhere on the network connected to the computer. If Drv contains more than
one letter, only the first character is used.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.
If no Drv is specified or if Drv is a zero-length string (" "), CurDir functions
return the system environment path for the current drive.

Syntax CurDir(Drv)
Drv . . . . . . . Drive: The parameter 'Drv ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid DOS file structure drive letter. Drv is case
insensitive and must end with a colon ( : ). The Drv may be local to
the computer, or mapped from anywhere on the network
connected to the computer. Drv is often included as part of the Path
parameter.

Return Value CurDir returns a Variant containing a string; CurDir$ returns a String.

Related Functions ChDir ChDrive Dir MkDir RmDir

Example Dim vntCurPath As Variant

Dim strCurPath As String
vntCurPath = CurDir()' store current path as variant
strCurPath = CurDir$()' store current path as string

CVar

Description Converts expressions to a variant data type.

Syntax CVar(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 113

If a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant

containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns the value of the expression (Exp) provided in the argument as a variant
data type.

Related Functions CDate CDbl CInt CLng CSng CStr

Example Dim x as integer

Dim v as variant
v = CVar(x)'Converts the integer value of x to a variant value in
v

Date

Description Determines the current system date according to the setting of the computer's
system date and time. Unlike other functions, Date does not require trailing
parentheses.

Syntax Date()

Return Value Returns a Variant (of String data type) containing the string value of the current
system date.

Related Functions DateSerial DateValue Year Month WeekDay Day TimeValue Hour
Minute Second

Example varSysDate
varSysDate = Date
' retrieves system date

Date statement

Description Sets the current system date.

The DateValue literal is displayed in short date format using the locale settings
of your development system. To view the locale settings for your system, in
Windows, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, Regional Options, Date. For
example: in Australia, the short date format is represented as d/MM/yyyy.

Related Functions Time (statement)

114 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Example Dim varCitectVBAReleaseDate

varCitectVBAReleaseDate = #01/07/2001#
Date = varCitectVBAReleaseDate
' sets system date to CitectVBA Release Date

DateSerial

Description Constructs a date value from the given Year, Month, and Day arguments passed
to the function. The DateSerial function expects all three parameters to be valid.
Date values in CitectVBA are evaluated using the Gregorian Calendar.

Syntax DateSerial()

Return Value Returns a Variant (of date data type) containing a date value corresponding to
the Year, Month and Day values that were passed in to the function.

Related Functions TimeSerial

Example Dim varMyBDate

varMyBDate = DateSerial(1958, 7, 08)
' constructs and stores date value.

DateValue

Description Calculates a date from the given date argument passed to the function. Date
values in CitectVBA are evaluated using the Gregorian Calendar. The DateValue
function expects the argument value (Date ) to be a string or any expression that
can represent a date.

Syntax DateValue(Date)
Date . . . . . . . DateThe argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.

Return Value Returns a variant (of date data type) corresponding to the string date expression
that was passed in.

Related Functions TimeValue

Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 115

Example Dim varMyBDate

varMyBDate = DateValue("1958/07/08")
' stores date value.

Day

Description Calculates the day from the given date argument passed to the function using
the Gregorian Calendar.

Syntax Day(Date)
Date . . . . . . . Date: The argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.

Return Value Returns a variant date corresponding to the date expression that was passed in.

Related Functions Date Year Month WeekDay

Example Dim varMyBDate, varMyDay

varMyBDate = #July 8, 1958#
varMyDay = Day(varMyBDate)
' stores 8 for day value.

Declare

Description The Declare statement is used at module (file) level to declare references to
external procedures in a dynamic-link library (DLL).

Syntax SyntaxDeclare Function <FunctionName> Lib "<LibName>" [Alias

"<AliasName>"] [([<ArgList>])] [As <ReturnType>]
where:
Declare is the required Declaration statement keyword

Function is the required Function statement keyword

<FunctionName> represents the required name of the function being

declared
Lib is the required Library statement keyword
116 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

<LibName> represents the required DLL filename containing the function

being called
Alias is the optional Alias statement keyword

<AliasName> represents the optional function name within the DLL being
called
( ) defines the required argument section of the function

<ArgList> represents the optional argument/s of the function

As is the optional As statement keyword declaring the return data type

<ReturnType> represents the optional return data type

Related Functions Dim

Example Declare Function GetWinTempPath Lib "kernel32" _

Alias "GetTempPathA" _
(ByVal nBufferLength As Long, _
ByVal lpBuffer As String) As Long

Dim

Description The Dim statement allocates storage for, and declares the data type of, variables
and arrays in a module.

Syntax Dim VariableName[(Subscripts)] [As DataType]

where:
Dim is the required variable declaration statement BASIC keyword
<VariableName> represents the required name of the variable being
declared (dimensioned)
( )' are the optional parentheses to hold an array subscript range
(dimensions)
<Subscripts> represents the optional subscript range for an array
As is the optional As statement keyword declaring the variable data type
<DataType> represents the optional CitectVBA data type declaration for the
variable SyntaxDim VarName
VarNameVariable Name: The argument 'VarName ' must be a string
representing a valid variable name.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 117

Related Functions Const ReDim Static

Example Dim bytVar As Byte

Dim binVar As Boolean
Dim strVar As String
Dim intVar As Integer
Dim lngVar As Long
Dim sngVar As Single
Dim dblVar As Double
Dim vntVar As Variant
Dim objVar As Object
Dim dtmVar As Date

Dir

Description Dir function returns a file or directory name that matches the given File and
Attrib arguments.
The File argument is optional, and represents a string expression that
specifies a valid file name, and may include a DOS path structure including
directory or folder names, and a drive letter. You must specify File the first
time you call the Dir function, or an error occurs.
The Attrib argument is optional, and can be a constant or numeric
expression whose sum specifies file attribute values. If you specify file
attributes in the function call, File must be included. If the Volume attribute
value (8) is specified, all other attribute values are ignored.
Dir supports the use of multiple-character ( * ) and single-character ( ? )
wildcards to specify multiple files.
Dir returns the first file name that matches both File and Attrib. To get any
additional file names that match, call Dir again with no arguments. When no
more file names match, Dir returns a zero-length string (" "). Once a zero-length
string is returned, you must specify argument/s in the next call (to reset the
function), or an error occurs.
Calling Dir with any argument will reset the function, and it will treat the call as
a new call. Previous arguments passed to the Dir function are overwritten and
forgotten (reset). You can reset the function (by supplying arguments in the
function call) at any time, even if it has not yet returned every possible argument
match result.
118 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Calling Dir with the Directory attribute (16) does not continually return
Directory names. You will need to check the attribute value of every return result
to determine if the return is a valid directory name. To do so, use the GetAttr
function. Because file names are retrieved in no particular order, you may want
to store returned file names in an array and then sort the array.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.

Syntax Dir(File, Attrib)

File. . . . . . . . File Name: The argument 'File ' must be a string or expression that
can represent a valid file name, and may include a DOS path
structure including directory or folder names, and a drive letter.
Attrib. . . . . . File Attributes: The argument 'Attrib ' must be a number or
expression that can represent a sum of the attribute values of a file .
This can be a constant or a numeric expression which includes any
combination of attribute numeric values, whose sum specifies all
relevant attributes of a file.
where:
0 = Normal
1 = Read Only
2 = Hidden
4 = System
8 = Volume
16 = Directory or Folder
32 = Archive
Possible combinations of values can sum to 0, 1, 2, 3, in fact every number from 0
to 64, each representing a unique combination of attribute values. For example, a
file attribute value of 6 represents that the file has both System (4) and Hidden
(2) attributes set.

Return Value Returns a String representing the name of a file, directory, or folder that matches
a specified pattern or file attribute, or the volume label of a drive. If File is not
found, a zero-length string (" ") is returned. If Attrib is omitted, all files are
returned that match File.

Related Functions ChDir ChDrive CurDir, CurDir$ MkDir RmDir

Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 119

Example Dim strCurPath As String' declare string to store current path

Dim strFileName As String' declare string to store retrieved file
name
Dim intFileCount As Integer' declare integer to keep count of
retrieved files
Dim arrFileList() As String ' declare string array to store file
names
strCurPath = CurDir$()' store current path for later restoration
ChDir "\" ' change to root directory of current drive
strFileName = Dir(*.dat)' retrieve file name with .dat extension
Do ' initialize loop
If strFileName = "" Then ' check to see if valid filename
returned
exit do ' exit from loop
Else
intFileCount = intFileCount + 1' increment file counter
variable
arrFileList(intFileCount) = strFileName' store file name in
array Redim arrFileList(intFileCount)' increase array size to
count value
strFileName = Dir()' retrieve next file name to match
original Dir call
EndIf
Loop Until strFileName = ""' loop again
ChDir strCurPath'restore previous current directory

Do Loop

Description The Do...Loop conditional statement allows you to execute a block of statements
an indefinite number of times. The variations of the Do...Loop are Do While, Do
Until, Do Loop While, and Do Loop Until.
Do While|Until <condition>
<statement/s>
Loop

Do Until <condition>
<statement/s>
120 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Loop

Do
<statement/s>
Loop While <condition>
Do
<statement/s>
Loop Until <condition>

Do While and Do Until check the condition before entering the loop, thus the
block of statements inside the loop are only executed when those conditions are
met. Do Loop While and Do Loop Until check the condition after having
executed the block of statements thereby guaranteeing that the block of
statements is executed at least once.
Any Do statement can be exited using the Exit Do statement.

End Function

Description The End Function statement ends a program or a block of statements within a
function. A CitectVBA function starts with the FUNCTION statement and
finishes with the END FUNCTION statement. All other statements that lie
between the FUNCTION and END FUNCTION statements will be executed by
the function when called to do so.

Syntax End Function

Related Functions Call, Sub, End Sub, Exit

Example Function GetColor2( c% ) As Long

GetColor2 = c% * 25
If c% > 2 Then
GetColor2 = 255' 0x0000FF - Red
End If
If c% > 5 Then
GetColor2 = 65280' 0x00FF00 - Green
End If
If c% > 8 Then
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 121

GetColor2 = 16711680' 0xFF0000 - Blue

End If
End Function

Sub TestColor2
Dim I as integer
For I = 1 to 10
Print GetColor2(I)
Next I
End Sub

End Sub

Description The End Sub statement ends a program or a block of statements within a
subroutine. A CitectVBA subroutine starts with the SUB statement and finishes
with the END SUB statement. All other statements that lie between the SUB and
END SUB statements, will be executed by the subroutine, when called to do so.

Syntax End Sub

Related Functions Call End Function Sub Exit

Example Function GetColor2( c% ) As Long

GetColor2 = c% * 25
If c% > 2 Then
GetColor2 = 255' 0x0000FF - Red
End If
If c% > 5 Then
GetColor2 = 65280' 0x00FF00 - Green
End If
If c% > 8 Then
GetColor2 = 16711680' 0xFF0000 - Blue
End If
End Function

Sub TestColor2
122 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Dim I as integer
For I = 1 to 10
Print GetColor2(I)
Next I
End Sub

EOF

Description EOF function returns a Boolean True or False value during file access that
indicates whether the current position of an open file has reached the end of the
file. The required FileNum argument must contain an Integer representing any
valid system file number associated with an open file.
Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
Use the LOF and Loc functions instead of EOF when reading binary files with
the Input function, or use Get when using the EOF function.
Note: An error occurs with files opened for Binary access, when the file is read
using the Input function until EOF returns True.

Syntax EOF(FileNum)
FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.

Return Value Returns an Integer containing the Boolean value False until the end of the file
has been reached. Returns True when the end of a file opened for Random or
sequential Input has been reached.

Related Functions FileLen Loc LOF Seek

Example Dim strFileContents as String, strTemp as String

Open "c:\test.txt" For Input As #1' open file
Do While Not EOF(1)' loop until end of file
strTemp = Input(10, #1)' read next ten characters
strFileContents = strFileContents & strTemp' join strings
Loop
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 123

Close #1

Erase

Description Reinitialises the elements of a fixed array specified in the ArrayList parameter.

Syntax Erase(Arraylist)
Arraylist . . . Array List: The parameter 'ArrayList ' must be a comma delimited
list of valid variable array names.

Related Functions Dim ReDim

Example Option Base 1

Dim Num(10) As Integer' Integer array.
Dim StrVarArray(10) As String' Variable-string array.
Dim StrFixArray(10) As String * 10' Fixed-string array.
Dim VarArray(10) As Variant ' Variant array.
Dim DynamicArray() As Integer' Dynamic array.
ReDim DynamicArray(10)' Allocate storage space.
Erase Num' Each element set to 0.
Erase StrVarArray' Each element set to zero-length string ("").
Erase StrFixArray' Each element set to 0.

Erase VarArray' Each element set to Empty.

Erase DynamicArray' Free memory used by array.

Exit

Description Exits a loop or procedure.

Syntax Exit {Do | For | Function | Sub }

Example ' This sample shows Do ... Loop with Exit Do to get out.
Dim Value, Msg' Declare variables
Do
Value = InputBox("Enter a value from 5 to 10.")
124 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

If Value >= 5 And Value <= 10 Then' Check range

Exit Do' Exit Do...Loop
Else
Beep' Beep if not in range
End If
Loop

Exp

Description Calculates the exponential of a number. The exponential is the base of the
natural logarithm e raised to a power (e^Num). The Exp function complements
the Log function and is sometimes referred to as the antilogarithm.
Note: The value of the constant e is approximately 2.71828.

Syntax Exp(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the value equivalent to the base of the natural logarithm (e) raised to the
power of the number (Num) provided in the argument.

Related Functions Log

Example Variable=Exp(1);! Sets Variable to 2.7182...

FileCopy

Description Copies a file from Src to Dest.

The required source file (Src ) and destination file (Dest ) arguments must be
valid string expressions representing valid file names. Src is the file name of the
file to copy from. Dest is the file name to be copied to. Both Src and Dest
arguments may contain a DOS path structure including directory or folder
names, and a drive letter.
If the Dest file does not exist, it will be created by the FileCopy statement. If the
Dest file already exists, it will be overwritten.
The FileCopy statement does not work on a currently open file. Both the Src and
Dest files must be closed before using the FileCopy statement. To close an open
file, use the Close statement.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 125

Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.

Syntax FileCopy Src, Dest

Src . . . . . . . . Source File: The argument 'Src ' must be a string or expression that
can represent a valid DOS file structure FileName. Src is case
insensitive. This may include a relative or static Path including
directory or folder structure and drive letter. To specify multiple
files, the FileName may consist of multiple-character ( * ) and single-
character ( ? ) wildcards in the file name.
Dest . . . . . . . Destination File: The argument 'Dest ' must be a string or
expression that can represent a valid DOS file structure FileName.
Dest is case insensitive. This may include a relative or static Path
including directory or folder structure and drive letter. To specify
multiple files, the FileName may consist of multiple-character ( * )
and single-character ( ? ) wildcards in the file name.

Related Functions Close FreeFile Kill Name Open

Example Dim SourceFile as String, DestinationFile as String

SourceFile = "SRCFILE.Dat"' Define source file name.
DestinationFile = "DESTFILE.Dat"' Define target file name.
FileCopy SourceFile, DestinationFile' Copy source to target.

FileLen

Description FileLen function determines the byte length of a file. The required File argument
must be valid string expression representing a valid file name. File may contain a
DOS path structure including directory or folder names, and a drive letter.
The FileLen function returns the size of a file immediately before it was most
recently opened. To obtain the length of a file that is already open, use the LOF
function.

Syntax FileLen(File)
File. . . . . . . . File Name: The argument 'File ' must be a string or expression that
can represent a valid file name, and may include a DOS path
structure including directory or folder names, and a drive letter.

Return Value Returns a Long value representing the length of the file measured in bytes.
126 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Related Functions EOF Loc LOF Seek

Example Dim lonFileSize As Long

lonFileSize = FileLen("C:\TESTFILE.txt")' returns length of file
in bytes

Fix

Description Calculates the integer portion of a number. Fix does not round the number, and
ignores the fractional value of the number.
Fix expects the argument (Num) to be a valid numeric value. If the argument
value is positive, rounds the Num down by dropping any fractional value. If the
argument value is negative, rounds the Num up to the next integer number
greater than or equal to Num.
Do not confuse Fix with Int , which rounds a negative argument value (Num)
down to the next integer number less than or equal to Num.

Syntax Fix(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the Integer value of the number (Num) provided in the argument.

Related Functions Abs Int Sgn Sqrt

Example Dim vntVar

vntVar = Fix(99.2)' returns 99
vntVar = Fix(99.8)' returns 99
vntVar = Fix(-99.8)' returns -99
vntVar = Fix(-99.2)' returns -99

For

Description Repeats its block of statements a set number of times as determined by the
values used with the To clause.

Example For <CounterName> = <BeginValue> To <EndValue> [Step <StepValue>]

<statement/s>
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 127

Format

Description Formats a string, number, or variant to the format expression (fmt ). The Format
function expects the argument (Exp ) to be a valid expression to be formatted.
The Format function expects the argument (fmt ) to be a string of characters that
specify how the expression is to displayed, or the name of a commonly used
format that has been predefined in CitectVBA. Do not mix different type format
expressions in a single fmt parameter.
If the fmt parameter is omitted or is zero-length and the expression parameter is
a numeric, Format[$] provides the same functionality as the Str[$] function by
converting the numeric value to the appropriate return data type. Positive
numbers convert to strings using Format[$] lack the leading space reserved for
displaying the sign of the value, whereas those converted using Str[$] retain the
leading space.
To format numbers, you can use the commonly used formats that have been
predefined in CitectVBA, or you can create user-defined formats with standard
characters that have special meaning when used in a format expression.

Syntax Format(Exp [,fmt])

Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string.
If a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns a formatted string.

Predefined numeric format names:
General—Display the number as is, with no thousand Separators
Fixed—Display at least one digit to the left and two digits to the right of the
decimal separator.
Standard—Display number with thousand separator, if appropriate; display
two digits to the right of the decimal separator.
Percent—Display number multiplied by 100 with a percent sign (%)
appended to the right' display two digits to the right of the decimal
separator.
Scientific—Use standard scientific notation.
128 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

True/False—Display False if number is 0, otherwise display True.

User-defined number formats.
Null string—Display the number with no formatting.
0—Digit placeholder.
Display a digit or a zero
If the number being formatted has fewer digits than there are zeros (on either
side of the decimal) in the format expression, leading or trailing zeros are
displayed. If the number has more digits to the right of the decimal separator
than there are zeros to the right of the decimal separator in the format
expression, the number is rounded to as many decimal places as there are zeros.
If the number has more digits to left of the decimal separator than there are zeros
to the left of the decimal separator in the format expression, the extra digits are
displayed without modification.
Digit placeholder (#). Displays a digit or nothing. If there is a digit in the
expression being formatted in the position where the # appears in the format
string, displays it; otherwise, nothing is displayed.
Decimal placeholder (.). The decimal placeholder determines how many
digits are displayed to the left and right of the decimal separator.
Percentage placeholder. (%) The percent character (%) is inserted in the
position where it appears in the format string. The expression is multiplied
by 100.
Thousand separator (,). The thousand separator separates thousands from
hundreds within a number that has four or more places to the left of the
decimal separator. Use of this separator as specified in the format statement
contains a comma surrounded by digit placeholders(0 or #). Two adjacent
commas or a comma immediately to the left of the decimal separator
(whether or not a decimal is specified) means "scale the number by dividing
it by 1000, rounding as needed."
Scientific format (E-E+e-e+). If the format expression contains at least one
digit placeholder (0 or #) to the right of E-,E+,e- or e+, the number is
displayed in scientific formatted E or e inserted between the number and its
exponent. The number of digit placeholders to the right determines the
number of digits in the exponent. Use E- or e- to place a minus sign next to
negative exponents. Use E+ or e+ to place a plus sign next to positive
exponents.
Time separator (:). The actual character used as the time separator depends
on the Time Format specified in the International section of the Control
Panel.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 129

Date separator (/). The actual character used as the date separator in the
formatted out depends on Date Format specified in the International section
of the Control Panel.
Display a literal character (- + $ ( )). To display a character other than one of
those listed, precede it with a backslash (\).
Display the next character in the format string (\). The backslash itself isn't
displayed. To display a backslash, use two backslashes (\\).
Note: Examples of characters that can't be displayed as literal characters are
the date- and time- formatting characters (a,c,d,h,m,n,p,q,s,t,w,y, and /:), the
numeric formatting characters(#,0,%,E,e,comma, and period), and the
string- formatting characters (@,&,<,>, and !).
"String"Display the string inside the double quotation marks (“String”). To
include a string in fmt from within CitectVBA, you must use the ANSI code
for a double quotation mark Chr(34) to enclose the text.
Display the next character as the fill character (*). Any empty space in a field
is filled with the character following the asterisk.
Unless the fmt argument contains one of the predefined formats, a format
expression for numbers can have from one to four sections separated by
semicolons.
If you use The result is
One section The format expression applies to all values.
Two The first section applies to positive values, the second to negative sections values.

Three The first section applies to positive values, the second to negative sections values, and the
third to zeros.

Four The first section applies to positive values, the second to negative section values, the third
to zeros, and the fourth to Null values.

The following example has two sections: the first defines the format for positive
values and zeros; the second section defines the format for negative values.
"$#,##0; ($#,##0)"
If you include semicolons with nothing between them. the missing section is
printed using the format of the positive value. For example, the following format
displays positive and negative values using the format in the first section and
displays "Zero" if the value is zero.
"$#,##0;;\Z\e\r\o"
Some sample format expressions for numbers are shown below. (These examples
all assume the Country is set to United States in the International section of the
Control Panel.) The first column contains the format strings. The other columns
130 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

contain the output the results if the formatted data has the value given in the
column headings.
Format (fmt) Positive 3 Negative 3 Decimal .3 Null
Null string 3 -3 0.3
0 3 -3 1
0.00 3.00 -3.00 0.30
#,##0 3 -3 1
#,##0.00;;;Nil 3.00 -3.00 0.30 Nil
$#,##0;($#,##0) $3 ($3) $1
$#,##0.00;($#,##0.00) $3.00 ($3.00) $0.30
0% 300% -300% 30%
0.00% 300.00% -300.00% 30.00%
0.00E+00 3.00E+00 -3.00E+00 3.00E-01
0.00E-00 3.00E00 -3.00E00 3.00E-01

Numbers can also be used to represent date and time information. You can
format date and time serial numbers using date and time formats or number
formats because date/time serial numbers are stored as floating-point values.
To format dates and times, you can use either the commonly used format that
have been predefined or create user-defined time formats using standard
meaning of each:
General Display a date and/or time. for real numbers, display a date and time.(e.g. 4/3/93 03:34
PM); If there is no fractional part, display only a date (e.g. 4/3/93); if there is no integer
part, display time only (e.g. 03:34 PM).
Long Date Display a Long Date, as defined in the International section of the Control Panel.
Medium Display a date in the same form as the Short Date, as defined in the international section of
the Control Panel, except spell out the month abbreviation.
Short Date Display a Short Date, as defined in the International section of the Control Panel.
Long Time Display a Long Time, as defined in the International section of the Control panel. Long
Time includes hours, minutes, seconds.
Medium Display time in 12-hour format using hours and minuets and the Time AM/PM designator.
Short Time Display a time using the 24-hour format (e.g. 17:45)
c Display the date as dddd and display the time as ttttt. in the order.
d Display the day as a number without a leading zero (1-31).
dd Display the day as a number with a leading zero (01-31).
ddd Display the day as an abbreviation (Sun-Sat).
ddddd Display a date serial number as a complete date (including day , month, and year).
w Display the day of the week as a number (1- 7 ).
ww Display the week of the year as a number (1-53).
m Display the month as a number without a leading zero (1-12). If m immediately follows h or
hh, the minute rather than the month is displayed.
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mm Display the month as a number with a leading zero (01-12). If mm immediately follows h or
hh, the minute rather than the month is displayed.
mmm Display the month as an abbreviation (Jan-Dec).
mmmm Display the month as a full month name (January-December).
q display the quarter of the year as a number (1-4).
y Display the day of the year as a number (1-366).
yy Display the day of the year as a two-digit number (00-99)
yyyy Display the day of the year as a four-digit number (100-9999).
h Display the hour as a number without leading zeros (0-23).
hh Display the hour as a number with leading zeros (00-23).
n Display the minute as a number without leading zeros (0-59).
nn Display the minute as a number with leading zeros (00-59).
s Display the second as a number without leading zeros (0-59).
ss Display the second as a number with leading zeros (00-59).
ttttt Display a time serial number as a complete time (including hour, minute, and second)
formatted using the time separator defined by the Time Format in the International section
of the Control Panel. A leading zero is displayed if the Leading Zero option is selected and
the time is before 10:00 A.M. or P.M. The default time format is h:mm:ss.
AM/PM Use the 12-hour clock and display an uppercase AM/PM
am/pm Use the 12-hour clock display a lowercase am/pm
A/P Use the 12-hour clock display a uppercase A/P
a/p Use the 12-hour clock display a lowercase a/p
AMPM Use the 12-hour clock and display the contents of the 11:59 string(s1159) in the WIN.INI
file with any hour before noon; display the contents of the 2359 string (s2359) with any
hour between noon and 11:59 PM. AMPM can be either uppercase or lowercase, but the
case of the string displayed matches the string as it exists in the WIN.INI file. The default
format is AM/PM.
m/d/yy 2/26/65
d-mmmm-yy 26-February-65
d-mmmm 26 February
mmmm-yy February 65
hh:nn AM/PM 06:45 PM
h:nn:ss a/p 6:45:15 p
h:nn:ss 18:45:15
m/d/yy/h:nn 2/26/65 18:45
Strings can also be formatted with Format[$]. A format expression for strings
can have one section or two sections separated by a semicolon.
If you use The result is
One section only The format applies to all string data.
Two sections The first section applies to string data, the second to Null values and zero-length
strings.
132 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

The following characters can be used to create a format expression for strings:
@ Character placeholder. Displays a character or a space. Placeholders are filled from right to left
unless there is an !character in the format string.
& Character placeholder. Display a character or nothing.
< Force lowercase.
> Force uppercase.
! Force placeholders to fill from left to right instead of right to left.

Related Functions Hex Oct Str Val

Example ' Format Function Example

' This example shows various uses of the Format function to format
values
' using both named and user-defined formats. For the date
separator (/),
' time separator (:), and AM/ PM literal, the actual formatted
output
' displayed by your system depends on the locale settings on which
the code
' is running. When times and dates are displayed in the
development
' environment, the short time and short date formats of the code
locale
' are used. When displayed by running code, the short time and
short date
' formats of the system locale are used, which may differ from the
code
' locale. For this example, English/United States is assumed.

' MyTime and MyDate are displayed in the development environment

using
' current system short time and short date settings.
MyTime = "08:04:23 PM"
MyDate = "03/03/95"
MyDate = "January 27, 1993"
MsgBox Now
MsgBox MyTime
MsgBox Second( MyTime ) & " Seconds"
MsgBox Minute( MyTime ) & " Minutes"
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 133

MsgBox Hour( MyTime ) & " Hours"

MsgBox Day( MyDate ) & " Days"
MsgBox Month( MyDate ) & " Months"
MsgBox Year( MyDate ) & " Years"
' Returns current system time in the system-defined long time
format.
MsgBox Format(Time, "Short Time")
MyStr = Format(Time, "Long Time")
' Returns current system date in the system-defined long date
format.
MsgBox Format(Date, "Short Date")
MsgBox Format(Date, "Long Date")
MyStr Format(MyTime, "h:n:s") ' Returns "17:4:23".
MyStr Format(MyTime, "hh:nn:ss")' Returns "20:04:22 ".
MyStr Format(MyDate, "dddd, mmm d yyyy")' Returns "Wednesday, Jan
27 1993".
' If format is not supplied, a string is returned.
MsgBox Format(23) ' Returns "23".
' User-defined formats.
MsgBox Format(5459.4, "##,##0.00") ' Returns "5,459.40".
MsgBox Format(334.9, "###0.00") ' Returns "334.90".
MsgBox Format(5, "0.00%") ' Returns "500.00%".
MsgBox Format("HELLO", "<") ' Returns "hello".
MsgBox Format("This is it", ">") ' Returns "THIS IS IT".

FreeFile

Description Retrieves the next sequential system file number available for association with a
file. Use the FreeFile function to retrieve an unassociated file number from the
file system. This number can be used by the Open statement to be associated
with a file.

Syntax FreeFile

Return Value Returns an Integer reference number ready for being associated with a file.

Related Functions Close FileCopy Kill Name Open

134 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Example Dim intFileNum as Integer

intFileNum = FreeFile'retrieve next free file number
Open "c:\TEST.txt" For Output As #intFileNum
Write #intFileNum, "This is a sample line of text."
Close #intFileNum

Function

Description The Function statement declares and defines a function procedure, its name,
parameters, and code to be enacted upon when the subroutine is called.
Functions differ from subroutines in that functions return a value, whereas
subroutines do not.
The required FunctionName is the name of the function being declared. The
optional ArgList is the list of arguments used within the function.
A CitectVBA function starts with the FUNCTION statement and finishes with
the END FUNCTION statement. All other statements that lie between the
FUNCTION and END FUNCTION statements will be executed by the function
when called to do so.

Syntax Function Fname [(Arguments)] [As type]

Related Functions Call, End Function, Sub, End Sub, Exit

Example Function GetColor2( c% ) As Long

Sub TestColor2
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 135

Dim I as integer
For I = 1 to 10
Print GetColor2(I)
Next I
End Sub

Get #

Description Get statement reads data from a disk file into a variable.
The required FileNum argument is a system reference number associated with an
open file. The optional RecNum argument is the byte position where the read
starts for files opened in Binary mode. If you omit RecNum, the next record or
byte following the last Get or Put statement (or pointed to by the last Seek
function) is read. You must include delimiting commas.
The required VarName is the name of the variable where the file data is read
(copied) to.
Random mode
For files opened in Random mode, the following rules apply:
If the length of the data being read is less than the length specified in the Len
clause of the Open statement, Get reads subsequent records on record-
length boundaries. The space between the end of one record and the
beginning of the next record is padded with the existing contents of the file
buffer. Because the amount of padding data can't be determined with any
certainty, it is generally a good idea to have the record length match the
length of the data being read.
If the variable being read into is a variable-length string, Get reads a 2-byte
descriptor containing the string length and then reads the data that goes into
the variable. Therefore, the record length specified by the Len clause in the
Open statement must be at least 2 bytes greater than the actual length of the
string.
If the variable being read into is a Variant of numeric type, Get reads 2 bytes
identifying the VarType of the Variant and then the data that goes into the
variable. For example, when reading a Variant of VarType 3, Get reads 6
bytes: 2 bytes identifying the Variant as VarType 3 (Long) and 4 bytes
containing the Long data. The record length specified by the Len clause in
the Open statement must be at least 2 bytes greater than the actual number
of bytes required to store the variable.
136 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Note: You can use the Get statement to read a Variant array from disk, but
you can't use Get to read a scalar Variant containing an array. You also can't
use Get to read objects from disk.
If the variable being read into is a Variant of VarType 8 (String), Get reads 2
bytes identifying the VarType, 2 bytes indicating the length of the string, and
then reads the string data. The record length specified by the Len clause in
the Open statement must be at least 4 bytes greater than the actual length of
the string.
If the variable being read into is a dynamic array, Get reads a descriptor
whose length equals 2 plus 8 times the number of dimensions, that is, 2 + 8 *
NumberOfDimensions. The record length specified by the Len clause in the
Open statement must be greater than or equal to the sum of all the bytes
required to read the array data and the array descriptor. For example, the
following array declaration requires 118 bytes when the array is written to
disk.
If the variable being read into is a fixed-size array, Get reads only the data.
No descriptor is read.
If the variable being read into is any other type of variable (not a variable-
length string or a Variant), Get reads only the variable data. The record
length specified by the Len clause in the Open statement must be greater
than or equal to the length of the data being read.
Get reads elements of user-defined types as if each were being read individually,
except that there is no padding between elements. On disk, a dynamic array in a
user-defined type (written with Put) is prefixed by a descriptor whose length
equals 2 plus 8 times the number of dimensions, that is, 2 + 8 *
NumberOfDimensions. The record length specified by the Len clause in the
Open statement must be greater than or equal to the sum of all the bytes
required to read the individual elements, including any arrays and their
descriptors.
Binary mode
For files opened in Binary mode, all of the Random rules apply, except:
The Len clause in the Open statement has no effect. Get reads all variables
from disk contiguously; that is, with no padding between records.
For any array other than an array in a user-defined type, Get reads only the
data. No descriptor is read.
Get reads variable-length strings that aren't elements of user-defined types
without expecting the 2-byte length descriptor. The number of bytes read equals
the number of characters already in the string.

Syntax Get #(FileNum, RecNum, VarName)

Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 137

FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.
RecNum . . . Record Number: The argument 'RecNum ' .
VarName . . . Variable Name: The argument 'VarName ' must be a string
representing a valid variable name.

Related Functions GetAttr Input Line Input # Print # Put # Write #

Example Type Record' Define user-defined type.

ID As Integer
Name As String * 20
End Type

Dim recRecord As Record

Dim intPosition As Integer
Dim intFileNum as Integer
intFileNum = FreeFile'retrieve next free file number
' Open sample file for random access.
Open "TESTFILE.txt" For Random As #intFileNum Len = Len(recRecord)
' Read the sample file using the Get statement.
intPosition = 3' Define third record number.
Get #intFileNum, intPosition, recRecord' Read third record.
Close #intFileNum' Close file.

GetAttr

Description GetAttr function returns an Integer representing the attribute settings of a file,
directory, or volume.
The required File argument must be valid string expression representing a valid
file name. File may contain a DOS path structure including directory or folder
names, and a drive letter.
To determine which attributes are set, use the AND operator to perform a
bitwise comparison of the value returned by the GetAttr function and the value
of the individual file attribute you want. If the result is not zero, that attribute is
138 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

set for the named file. For example, the return value of the following AND
expression is zero if the Archive attribute is not set:
Const AttrArchive = 32
Result = GetAttr(FileName) And AttrArchive' A nonzero value
is returned if the Archive attribute is set.

Syntax GetAttr(File)
File. . . . . . . . File Name: The argument 'File ' must be a string or expression that
can represent a valid file name, and may include a DOS path
structure including directory or folder names, and a drive letter.

Return Value Returns an Integer number indicating the sum Attribute value of a file, directory,
or folder for the File argument, where:
0 = Normal
1 = Read Only
2 = Hidden
4 = System
8 = Volume
16 = Directory or Folder
32 = Archive

Related Functions Get # Line Input # Print # Put #

Example Dim intAttrVal

' Assume file TESTFILE has hidden attribute set.
intAttrVal = GetAttr("TESTFILE.txt")' Returns 2.
' Assume file TESTFILE has hidden and read-only attributes set.
intAttrVal = GetAttr("TESTFILE.txt") Returns 3.
' Assume MYDIR is a directory or folder.
intAttrVal = GetAttr("MYDIR")' Returns 16.

Goto

Description The GoTo conditional statement branches unconditionally and without return to
the label specified in the GoTo statement. The label must be located in the same
subroutine or function as the Goto statement.

Example <statement/s>
If <condition> then
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 139

GoTo Label1
Else
GoTo Label2
End If

Label1:
<statement/s>
GoTo Label3

Label2:
<statement/s>
GoTo Label3

Label3:
<statement/s>
In this example, CitectVBA tests the If condition, and jumps to the part of the
script that begins with the label "
Label1:" if the condition was true, or jumps to the part of the script that begins
with the label "Label2:" if the condition was false. This could be anywhere in the
same subroutine or function.

Hex

Description Converts a numeric value to a text string representing the hexadecimal value of
the number.
The Hex function expects the argument (Num ) to be a valid numeric value. It is
rounded to nearest whole number before evaluation.

Syntax Hex(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns a text string containing the hexadecimal value of the numeric (Num)
value provided in the argument.

Related Functions Format Oct Str Val

140 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Example Dim MyHex as String

MyHex = Hex(5)'returns "5"
MyHex = Hex(10)'returns "A"
MyHex = Hex(459)'returns "1CB"

Hour

Description Calculates the hour value from the given time argument passed to the function.

Syntax Hour(Time)
Time. . . . . . . Time: The argument 'Time ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a time value. This includes and combination of time
literals, numbers that look like times, strings that look like times,
and times from functions.

Return Value Returns an integer between 0 and 23 that is the hour of the parameter (Time ).

Related Functions Minute Second

Example Dim varMyHour, varMyTime

varMyTime = "08:04:23 PM"
varMyHour = Hour(varMyTime)
' stores hours value.

Description Tests an initial condition and then either performs or omits to perform the
statements it contains, dependant upon the logical result of the test condition.
The condition can be a comparison or an expression, and must logically evaluate
to either True or False. The If statement has both single line and multiple line
syntax structure.
The single line syntax uses the If <TestCondition> Then
<StatementToPerformIfTrue> structure, however, can only perform a single
statement if and only if the test condition result is True. No 'End If' statement is
required:

Example If <Condition> Then <Statement>

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If the result of the If test condition was True, the program flow continues into
and performs the statement following the Then statement, until it reaches the
end of the line.
To perform a single statement conditionally upon a False result, use the NOT
logical operator:
If NOT <Condition> Then <Statement>
To perform multiple statements, use the multiple line syntax structure which
ends with the 'End If' statement:
If <Condition> Then
' Then statement block
' perform only if true
<Statement/s>
End If
If the result of the If test condition was True, the program flow continues into the
Then statement block, and performs the statements following the Then
statement, until it reaches the End If statement.
If the result of the If test condition was False, the program flow jumps
completely over the Then statement block, which in this case exits the If
structure (without performing any statements other than the initial test
condition).
The mutiple line If structure can perform different blocks of statements
dependant upon EITHER a True OR a False result to the test condition, through
the use of the Else statement block:
If <Condition> Then
' Then statement block
' perform only if true
<Statement/s>
Else
' Else statement block
' perform only if false
<Statement/s>
End If
If the result of the If test condition was True, the program flow performs the
Then block statements, until it reaches the Else statement. It then jumps
completely over the Else statement block and exits the If structure (without
performing any of the Else statement block statements).
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Further test conditions can be placed into an If structure through the use of the
optional Else If <Condition> statement block. ElseIf statement blocks can only be
positioned within an If structure before the Else statement block. If the result of
the If test condition was False, the program flow jumps completely over the
Then statement block (without performing any of those statements) to the Else
statement to perform the statements in the Else statement block until it reaches
the End If statement.
If <Condition> Then
' Then statement block
' perform only if true
<Statement/s>
ElseIf <Condition>
' Else If statement block
' perform only if true
<Statement/s>
Else
' Else statement block
' perform only if false
<Statement/s>
End If
The ElseIf test condition is only evaluated after the initial If structure test
condition results in False.
If the result of the ElseIf test condition was True, the statements within the ElseIf
statement block are performed. The program flow then jumps completely over
the Else statement block and exits the If structure (without performing any of the
Else statement block statements).
If the result of the ElseIf test condition was False, the program flow jumps
completely over the ElseIf statement block (without performing any of those
statements) to the Else statement to perform the statements in the Else statement
block until it reaches the End If statement.
There is no apparent limit to the number of Else If statement blocks that any one
If structure can hold, however, the Select Case Statement structure handles
multiple condition result alternatives much more efficiently.

Input Input # statement reads data from a Sequential file and assigns that data to
variables. Input function returns characters from a file opened in Input or Binary
mode.
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The Input # statement has two parameters FileNum and VarList. The required
FileNum argument is the associated file number used in the Open statement
when the file was opened. The required VarList argument is a comma delimited
list of variables that are assigned values read from the file.
The Input function has two parameters: Num and FileNum. The required Num
argument is a number or valid numeric expression specifying the number of
characters (bytes) to be read from the file. FileNum is the associated file number
used in the Open statement when the file was opened.
Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
Use the LOF and Loc functions instead of EOF when reading binary files with
the Input function, or use Get when using the EOF function.
Note: An error occurs with files opened for Binary access, when the file is read
using the Input function until EOF returns True.
Data read with the Input # statement has usually been written to a file with the
Write # statement. Data read with the Input function has usually been written to
a file with the Print # or Put statements.
Note: When saving data to a file for future reading with the Input # statement,
use the Write # statement instead of the Print # statement to write the data to the
file. Using Write # ensures the integrity of each separate data field by properly
delimiting it, so it can be read back in using Input #. Using Write # also ensures it
can be correctly read in any locale.

Syntax Input #(FileNum, VarList)

Return Value Input # statement returns data record by record from a file opened in Input or
Binary mode. Data items in a file must appear in the same order as the variables
in VarList and match variables of the same data type. If a variable is numeric and
the data is not numeric, a value of zero is assigned to the variable.
Input function returns a String containing characters from a file opened in Input
or Binary mode. The Input function returns all of the characters it reads,
144 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

including commas, carriage returns, linefeeds, quotation marks, and leading

spaces.

Related Functions Get # GetAttr Line Input # Print # Put # Write #

Example Dim strFileContents As String

Dim strTemp As String
Dim strString As String
Dim intFileNum as Integer
Dim intNumber as Integer
intFileNum = FreeFile'retrieve next free file number
Open "c:\test.txt" For Input As #intFileNum' open file.
Do While Not EOF(intFileNum)' loop until end of file
strTemp = Input(10, #intFileNum)' read next ten characters
strFileContents = strFileContents & strTemp' join strings
Loop
Input #intFileNum, strString, intNumber' Read data into two
variables.
Close #intFileNum

InStr

Description Returns the character position of the first occurrence of String2 within String1.
The optional Num argument is a numeric expression that sets the starting
position for the search. If omitted, search begins at the first character position. If
Num contains Null, an error occurs.
The required String1 argument is the string expression being searched.
The required String2 argument is the string expression being searched for.

Syntax InStr(Num, String1, String2)

Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.
String1 . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.
String2 . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.
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Return Value Returns a variant containing a Long data type indicating the result of the string
search. Returns 0 if:
StringToSearch is of zero length.

StringToMatch is not found.

StartPos is longer than StringToMatch.

Returns a value representing the count position where character match was first
found.
Returns Null if StringToSearch or StringToMatch contains null.

Related Functions IsNull Left, Left$ Mid Right StrComp

Example Dim strToSearch as String

Dim strToFind as String
Dim lngPosition as Long
strToSearch = "Good Bye"
' note this has an uppercase "B"
strToFind = "bye"
' note this has a lowercase "b"
lngPosition = InStr(1, strToSearch, strToFind, 0)
' returns 0 (Did not find match)
lngPosition = InStr(1, strToSearch, strToFind, 1)
' returns 6 (Position of first character in match)

Int

Description Calculates the integer portion of a number. Int does not round the number, and
ignores the fractional value of the number.
Int expects the argument (Num) to be a valid numeric value. If the argument
value is positive, rounds the Num down by dropping any fractional value. If the
argument value is negative, rounds the Num down to the next integer number
less than or equal to Num.
Do not confuse Int with Fix, which rounds a negative argument value (Num) up
to the next integer number greater than or equal to Num.

Syntax Int(Num)
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Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or

expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the integer value of the number (Num) provided in the argument. If
Num contains a Null, Int returns a Null.

Related Functions Abs Fix Rnd Sgn Sqrt

Example Dim vntVar

vntVar = Int(99.2)' returns 99
vntVar = Int(99.8)' returns 99
vntVar = Int(-99.8)' returns -100
vntVar = Int(-99.2)' returns -100

IsDate

Description Determines if an expression can be converted to a date.

The required expression argument is a Variant containing a date expression or
string expression recognizable as a date or time value.

Syntax IsDate(Date)
Date . . . . . . . Date: The argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.

Return Value Returns a Boolean True or False.

Related Functions IsEmpty IsNull IsNumeric VarType

Example Dim x As String

Dim MArray As Integer, MCheck
MArray = 345
x = "January 1, 1987"
MCheck = IsDate(MArray)
MChekk = IsDate(x)
MArray1 = CStr(MArray)
MCheck1 = CStr(MCheck)
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Print MArray1 & " is a date " & Chr(10) & MCheck
Print x & " is a date" & Chr(10) & MChekk

IsEmpty

Description Determines if a variant parameter has been initialised.

The required Exp argument is a variant containing a numeric or string
expression. However, because IsEmpty is used to determine if individual
variables are initialised, the Exp argument is most often a single variable name.
IsEmpty returns True if the variable is un-initialised, or is explicitly set to
Empty; otherwise, it returns False. False is always returned if Exp contains more
than one variable.
Note: IsEmpty only returns meaningful information for variants.

Syntax IsEmpty(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string. If
a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Related Functions Returns a Boolean True or False.

Related Functions IsDate IsNull IsNumeric VarType

Example Dim x' Empty

x = 5' Not Empty - Long
x = Empty' Empty
y = x' Both Empty
MsgBox "x" & " IsEmpty: " & IsEmpty(x)

IsNull

Description Determines if a Variant contains Null.

IsNull returns True if expression is Null; otherwise, IsNull returns False. If Exp
consists of more than one variable, Null in any constituent variable causes True
to be returned for the entire expression.
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The Null value indicates that the Variant contains no valid data. Null is not the
same as Empty, which indicates that a variable has not yet been initialised. It is
also not the same as a zero-length string (" "), which is sometimes referred to as a
null string.
Note: Use the IsNull function to determine whether VarName contains a Null
value. Expressions that you might expect to evaluate to True under some
circumstances, such as If Var = Null and If Var <> Null, are always False. This is
because any expression containing a Null is itself Null and, therefore, False.

Syntax IsNull(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string. If
a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns a Boolean True or False.

Related Functions IsDate IsEmpty IsNumeric VarType

Example Dim MyVar, MyCheck

MyCheck = IsNull(MyVar) ' Returns False.

MyVar = ""
MyCheck = IsNull(MyVar) ' Returns False.

MyVar = Null
MyCheck = IsNull(MyVar) ' Returns True.

IsNumeric

Description Determines if a variant can be evaluated as a number.

The required Exp argument is a variant containing a numeric expression or
string expression that can be evaluated as a number.
IsNumeric returns False if Exp is a date expression.

Syntax IsNumeric(Exp)
Exp . . . . . . . Expression: The argument 'Exp ' will depend upon which data type
is expected in the function. If a string is expected, Exp may be a
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valid string or Variant containing a value recognizable as a string. If

a number is expected, Exp may be a valid number or Variant
containing a value recognizable as a number.

Return Value Returns a Boolean True or False.

Related Functions IsDate IsEmpty IsNull VarType

Example Dim TestVar' Declare variable.

TestVar = InputBox("Please enter a number, letter, or symbol.")
If IsNumeric(TestVar) Then' Evaluate variable.
MsgBox "Entered data is numeric."' Message if number.
Else
MsgBox "Entered data is not numeric."' Message if not.
End If

Kill

Description Kill statement deletes files from disk.

The required File argument must be valid string expression representing a valid
file name. File may contain a DOS path structure including directory or folder
names, and a drive letter.
Kill supports the use of multiple-character ( * ) and single-character ( ? )
wildcards to specify multiple files. The Kill statement does not work on a
currently open file. To remove a directory use the RmDir statement.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.

Syntax Kill File

Related Functions Close FileCopy FreeFile Name Open

Example ' Assume TESTFILE is a file containing some data.

Kill "TestFile"
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' Delete all Dat files in current directory.

Kill "*.Dat"

Lbound

Description Determines the value of the lowest subscript for the (ArrayDimension) of the
(ArrayName) provided in the argument.
Lbound expects the required argument (ArrayName) to be a valid variable array
name. The optional argument (ArrayDimension) must be a whole long number
indicating which dimension's lower bound is to be returned. Use 1 for the first
dimension, 2 for the second, and so on. If ArrayDimension is omitted, 1 is
assumed.

Syntax Lbound(ArrayName, ArrayDimension)

ArrayName. . Array Name: The argument 'ArrayName ' must be a string or
expression that can represent a valid variable array name.
ArrayDimension Array Dimension: The argument 'ArrayDimension ' must be a
numeric value or expression that can represent a valid long data
type value.

Return Value Returns a number of Long data type.

Related Functions Ubound

Example Dim Lower

Dim MyArray(1 To 10, 5 To 15, 10 To 20) ' Declare array variables.
Dim AnyArray(10)
Lower = LBound(MyArray, 1) ' Returns 1.
Lower = LBound(MyArray, 2) ' Returns 5.
Lower = LBound(AnyArray) ' Returns 1.

LCase

Description Converts all uppercase letters in Str to lowercase letters. All lowercase letters
and non-letter characters remain unchanged.

Syntax LCase(Str)
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Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a string.

Related Functions UCase

Example Dim strMixedCase as String

Dim strLowerCase as String
Dim strUpperCase as String
strMixedCase = "AbCdE"
strLowerCase = LCase(strMixedCase)' returns "abcde"
strUpperCase = UCase(strMixedCase)' returns "ABCDE"

Left, Left$

Description Returns the left most Num characters of Str.

The required Str argument is a String expression from which the leftmost
characters are returned. If Str contains Null, Null is returned.
The required Num argument is a Variant (Long) numeric expression indicating
how many characters to return. If 0, a zero-length string (" ") is returned. If
greater than or equal to the number of characters in string, the entire string is
returned.
Note: To determine the number of characters in a string, use the Len function.

Syntax Left(Str, Num)

Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value The Left function returns a variant containing a String data type. The Left$
function returns a String.

Related Functions InStr Mid Right

Example Dim strGreeting as String

Dim strTest
strGreeting = "Hello World"
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strTest = Left(strGreeting, 1)' Returns "H".

strTest = Left(strGreeting, 7)' Returns "Hello W".
strTest = Left(strGreeting, 20)' Returns "Hello World".

Len

Description The Len function determines the number of characters in the Str argument. The
LenB function determines the number of bytes in the VarName argument.
The Str argument can be any valid string expression. If Str contains Null,
Null is returned.
The VarName argument can be any valid variable name. If VarName contains
Null, Null is returned. If VarName is a Variant, LenB treats it the same as a
String and always returns the number of characters it contains.

Syntax Len(Str)
Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a Long.

Related Functions InStr Left, Left$ Mid Right

Example Dim strTest as String

Dim lngStringLength as Long
strTest = "CitectVBA"
lngStringLength = Len(strTest)' returns 9

Line Input #

Description Line Input # statement reads a single line from an open sequential file and
assigns it to a String variable .
The required FileNum argument is a system reference number associated with an
open file. The required VarName is the name of the variable where the file data is
read (copied) to.
Note: The number sign ( # ) preceding FileNum is not optional.
The Line Input # statement reads from a file one character at a time until it
encounters a carriage return (Chr(13)) or carriage return–linefeed (Chr(13) +
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Chr(10)) sequence. Carriage return - linefeed sequences are skipped rather than
appended to the character string.
Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
Data read with the Line Input # statement has usually been written to a file with
the Print # statement.

Syntax Line Input #FileNum, VarName

FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.
VarName . . . Variable Name: The argument 'VarName ' must be a string
representing a valid variable name.

Related Functions Get # GetAttr Input Print # Put # Write #

Example Dim strTextLine As String

Dim intFileNum As Integer
Open "c:\TEST.txt" For Input As #intFileNumintFileNum = FreeFile
'retrieve next free file number
Do While Not EOF(intFileNum)' Loop until end of file.
Line Input #intFileNum, strTextLine' Read line into variable.
Print TextLine' Print line.
Loop
Close #intFileNum

Loc

Description Loc function returns a number indicating the current position within a file
opened using the Open statement.
The required FileNum argument must contain an Integer representing any valid
number associated with an open file.

Syntax Loc(FileNum)
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Return Value Returns a Long representing the current position within a file, the value
dependant upon which file access mode the file was opened with:
If the file was opened in Random mode, the Loc function will return a number
representing the last record read from or written to the file.
If the file was opened in Sequential mode, the Loc function will return a number
representing the current byte position in the file divided by 128. (However,
information returned by Loc for Sequential files is neither used nor required.)
If the file was opened in Binary mode, the Loc function will return a number
representing the position of the last byte read from or written to the file.

Related Functions EOF FileLen LOF Seek

Example Dim lonLoc As Long

Dim strLine As String
Open "TESTFILE.txt" For Binary As #1' Open file
Do While lonLoc < LOF(1)' Loop until end of file
strLine = strLine & Input(1, #1)' Read character into variable
lonLoc = Loc(1)' Get current position within file
Loop
<statements>' Do stuff with retrieved data
Close #1 ' Close file

LOF

Description LOF function returns a number indicating the byte length of a sequential file
opened using the Open statement.
The required FileNum argument must contain an Integer representing any valid
number associated with an open file.
Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
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The LOF function returns the size of a file that is already open.
To obtain the length of a file that is not open, use the FileLen function.
Use the LOF and Loc functions instead of EOF when reading binary files with
the Input function.

Syntax LOF(FileNum)
FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.

Return Value Returns a Long representing the size of a file in bytes.

Related Functions EOF FileLen Loc Seek

Example Dim lonFileSize As Long

lonFileSize = LOF "C:\TESTFILE.txt"' returns length of file in
bytes

Log

Description Calculates the natural logarithm of a number

Log expects the argument (Num) to be a valid numeric value. The argument
value must be greater than zero.
The natural logarithm is the logarithm to the base e. You can calculate the base-n
logarithms for any number X by dividing the natural logarithm of X by the
natural logarithm of n as follows:
Logn (X ) = Log(X ) / Log(n )
Note: The value of the constant e is approximately 2.71828.

Syntax Log(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the natural log of the number (Num) provided in the argument.

Related Functions Exp

Example Variable=Log(100);! Sets Variable to 2 (i.e. 100=10 to the power

of 2).
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LTrim

Description Strips any leading spaces from Str variable.

Syntax LTrim(Str)
Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a string.

Related Functions RTrim Trim

Example Dim strTest as String

Dim strResult as String
Dim lngStartLength as Long
Dim lngFinishLength as Long
strTest = " CitectVBA"
lngStartLength = Len(strTest)' returns 14
strResult = LTrim(strTest)' returns "CitectVBA"
lngStringLength = Len(strResult)' returns 9

Mid

Description The Mid Function extracts a portion of a string from Str.

Note: To determine the number of characters in a string, use the Len function.
The Str argument can be any valid string expression. If Str contains Null, Null is
returned.
The required Num argument is a Long numeric expression that sets the starting
position for the extraction. If Num is greater than the number of characters in
string, Mid returns a zero-length string ("").
The optional Len argument is a Variant containing a Long data type
representing the number of characters to return. If omitted or if there are fewer
than Len characters in Str (including the character at position Num ), all
characters from the Num position to the end of the string are returned.

Syntax Mid(Str, Num, Len)

Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value. If Str contains Null, Null is returned.
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Num . . . . . . Number: The required Num argument is a Long numeric

expression that sets the starting position for the extraction. If Num
is greater than the number of characters in string, Mid returns a
zero-length string ("").
Len. . . . . . . . Number: The optional Len argument is a Variant containing a Long
data type representing the number of characters to return. If
omitted or if there are fewer than Len characters in Str (including
the character at position Num ), all characters from the Num
position to the end of the string are returned.

Return Value The Mid function returns a Variant (containing a String data type).

Related Functions InStr Left, Left$ Right

Example Dim strSource as String

Dim strFirstWord as String
Dim strSecondWord as String
Dim strThirdWord as String
Dim lngPosition as Long
Dim lngNextPosition as Long
Dim lngWordLength as Long
strSource = "Mid Function Demo"' Create test string.
lngPosition = 1' Start at character position 1
lngNextPosition = Instr(lngPosition, strSource," ")' Locate first
space character
lngWordLength = lngNextPosition - lngPosition' calculate word
length
strFirstWord = Mid(strSource, lngPosition, lngWordLength)'
Returns first word "Mid"
lngPosition = lngNextPosition + 1' Move to next word position
lngNextPosition = Instr(lngPosition, strSource," ")' Locate next
space character
lngWordLength = lngNextPosition - lngPosition' calculate word
length
strSecondWord = Mid(strSource, lngPosition, lngWordLength)'
Returns second word "Function"
lngPosition = lngNextPosition + 1' Move to next word position
lngNextPosition = Instr(lngPosition, strSource," ")' Locate next
space character
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lngWordLength = lngNextPosition - lngPosition' calculate word

length
strThirdWord = Mid(strSource, lngPosition, lngWordLength)'
Returns third word "Demo"

Minute

Description Calculates the minute value from the given time argument passed to the
function.

Syntax Minute(Time)
Time. . . . . . . Time: The argument 'Time ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a time value. This includes and combination of time
literals, numbers that look like times, strings that look like times,
and times from functions.

Return Value Returns an integer between 0 and 59 representing the minute of the parameter
(Time ).

Related Functions Hour Second

Example Dim varMyMin, varMyTime

varMyTime = "08:04:23 PM"
varMyMin = Minute(varMyTime)
' stores minutes value.

MkDir

Description The MkDir statement creates the directory specified in the Path parameter.
The required parameter Path must be a string or expression that can represent a
valid DOS file structure path value, must contain a directory name, may contain
a relative path structure, and may contain a drive letter. The Path parameter
must be limited to less than 128 characters.
The MkDir statement is relative to the current directory. If no path structure is
provided, the directory is created in the current directory. If no drive is specified,
the MkDir statement creates the directory on the current drive.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
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current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.

Syntax MkDir Path

Path . . . . . . . Path: The parameter 'Path ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid DOS file structure path value. This includes a
directory name, and may include a relative or static directory or
folder structure and drive letter, in the order:
[<driveletter>:][\<rootdirectoryname>][\<subdirectory> ...
\<subdirectory>\] directoryname
Note: The path can be relative to the current directory. A single dot represents
the current directory. ( . ) Two dots represent the parent directory of the current
directory. ( .. ) For example:
chdir ..' changes to the parent directory of the current directory
chdir ..\test' changes to the test subdirectory of the parent
directory

Related Functions ChDir ChDrive CurDir, CurDir$ Dir RmDir

Example Dim strPath As String

Dim strDir As String
strPath = CurDir()' store current path
strDir = "Temp"
ChDir "\"' change to root dir on current drive
MkDir strDir' create new directory
ChDir strPath' change back to previous path

Month

Description Calculates the month from the given date argument passed to the function using
the Gregorian Calendar.

Syntax Month(Date)
Date . . . . . . . Date: The argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.

Return Value Returns an integer between 1 and 12 inclusive, that represents the month of the
year.
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Related Functions Date Year WeekDay Day

Example Dim varMyBDate, varMyMonth

varMyBDate = "08 July 1958"
varMyMonth = Month(varMyBDate)
' returns 7 for July

Name

Description The Name statement renames the disk file specified in the OldFileName
parameter, to the name specified in the NewFileName parameter.
The required parameter OldFileName must be valid existing file name, may
contain a path structure, and may contain a drive letter.
The NewFileName parameter must be a string or expression that can represent a
valid DOS file name value, may contain a relative path structure, and may
contain a drive letter. The NewFileName parameter must be limited to less than
128 characters.
The Name statement uses the file system relative to the current directory. If no
path structure is provided, the NewFileName file is expected to be in the current
directory. If no drive is specified, the Name statement expects the file to be on
the current drive.
Using Name, you can move a file from one directory or folder to another. If the
path in NewFileName exists and is different from the path in OldFileName, the
Name statement moves the file to the new directory or folder and renames the
file, if necessary. If NewFileName and OldFileName have different paths and the
same file name, Name moves the file to the new location and leaves the file name
unchanged.
Name does not support the use of multiple-character ( * ) and single-character (?)
wildcards to specify multiple files.
The Name statement does not work on a currently open file. You must close an
open file before renaming it.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.

Syntax Name OldFileName NewFileName

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OldFileName. File Name: The argument 'File ' must be a string or

expression that can represent a valid file name, and may include a
DOS path structure including directory or folder names, and a
drive letter.
NewFileName File Name: The argument 'File ' must be a string or
expression that can represent a valid file name, and may include a
DOS path structure including directory or folder names, and a
drive letter.

Related Functions Close FileCopy FreeFile Kill Open

Example Dim strNewFileName As String

Dim strOldFileName As String
strOldFileName = "c:\temp\oldfile.txt"
strNewFileName = "newfile.txt"
ChDir "\"' change to root dir on current drive
Name strOldFileName strNewFileName' moves file to root dir and
renames it
ChDir strPath' change back to previous path

Nothing

Description Releases an OLE Automation object reference from a variable of object type. The
Nothing keyword is used in a Set statement.
In the following declaration syntax example, each placeholder shown inside
arrow brackets ( <placeholder> ) should be replaced in any actual code with the
value of the item that it describes. The arrow brackets and the word they contain
should not be included in the statement, and are shown here only for your
information.

Syntax SyntaxSet <objVarName> = Nothing

where:
Set is the required reference assignment/release statement keyword
<objVarName> represents the required name of the variable receiving the
reference
Nothing is the keyword used to release the object reference
162 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

The nothing keyword should be used when you are finished with an object,
to clear any variables that reference the object, so the object can be released
from memory.

Related Functions CreateObject Function Set Statement

Example ' create variable to store object reference

Now

Description Determines the current date and time according to the setting of the computer's
system date and time using the Gregorian Calendar. Unlike other functions,
Now does not require trailing parentheses.

Syntax Now()

Return Value The Now function returns a Variant data type containing a date and time value
that is stored internally as a double data type.
The number represents a date and time from January 1, 100 through December
31, 9999. Numbers to the left of the decimal point represent the date and
numbers to the right represent the time.

Related Functions Date Time Timer

Example Dim vntToday

vntToday = Now
' stores current system date and time.

Oct

Description Converts a numeric value to a text string representing the octal value of the
number.
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The Oct function expects the argument (Num ) to be a valid numeric value. It is
rounded to nearest whole number before evaluation.

Syntax Oct(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns a text string containing the octal value of the numeric (Num) value
provided in the argument.

Related Functions Format Hex Str Val

Example Dim MyOct as String

MyOct = Oct(4)'returns "4"
MyOct = Oct(8)'returns "10"
MyOct = Oct(459)'returns "713"

OnError

Description CitectVBAs error-handling routine and specifies the line label of the error-
handling routine. The line parameter refers to a label. That label must be present
in the code or an error is generated.

Syntax Syntax:On Error { GoTo line | Resume Next | GoTo 0 }

Example On Error GoTo errHandler

Dim x as object

x.draw ' Object not set

jpe ' Undefined function call
print 1/0 ' Division by zero
Err.Raise 6' Generate an "Overflow" error

Exit Sub

errHandler:
Print Err.Number, Err.Description
Resume Next
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Open

Description Open statement enables input/output (I/O) to a disk file.

The required File argument must be a valid string expression representing a
valid file name.
File may contain a DOS path structure including directory or folder names, and a
drive letter.
The required Mode argument must be a valid keyword specifying the file I/O
mode: Append, Binary, Input, Output, or Random.
If unspecified, the file is opened for Random access.
The optional Access argument must be a valid keyword specifying the operations
permitted on the open file: Read, Write, or Read Write.
The optional Lock argument must be a valid keyword specifying the operations
permitted on the open file by other processes: Shared, Lock Read, Lock Write,
and Lock Read Write.
The required FileNum argument must contain an Integer representing the
number that will be associated with the file. This is the file system reference
number supplied by the FreeFile statement that can be used in functions such as
Get #, Input #, Line Input #, Print #, and Write #. In Binary, Input, and Random
modes, you can open a file using a different file number without first closing the
file. In Append and Output modes, you must close a file before opening it with a
different file number.
Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
The optional RecLen argument must be a number less than or equal to 32,767
(bytes). For files opened for Random access, this value is the record length. For
sequential files, this value is the number of characters buffered. The Len clause is
ignored if mode is Binary.
You must open a file before any I/O operation can be performed on it. Open
allocates a buffer for I/O to the file and determines the mode of access to use
with the buffer. If the file is already opened by another process and the specified
type of access is not allowed, the Open operation fails and an error occurs.
If the file specified by pathname doesn't exist, it is created when a file is opened
for Append, Binary, Output, or Random modes.

Syntax Open(File For Mode Access Access Lock As #FileNum Len=RecLen)

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File. . . . . . . . File Name: The argument 'File ' must be a string or expression that
can represent a valid file name, and may include a DOS path
structure including directory or folder names, and a drive letter.
Mode . . . . . . File Mode: The argument 'Mode ' must be a CitectVBA keyword
specifying the file I/O mode: Append, Binary, Input, Output, or
Random.
Lock . . . . . . . File Lock: The argument 'Lock ' must be a CitectVBA keyword
specifying the operations permitted on the open file by other
processes: Shared, Lock Read, Lock Write, and Lock Read Write.
AccessFile Access: The argument 'Access ' must be a CitectVBA
keyword specifying the operations permitted on the open file:
Read, Write, or Read Write.
FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.
RecLen. . . . . Record Length: The argument 'RecLen ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing the byte length of a file record as a
number less than or equal to 32,767.

Related Functions Close FileCopy FreeFile Kill Name

Example ' The following code opens the file TESTFILE in sequential-input
mode.
Open "TESTFILE" For Input As #1
' Close before reopening in another mode.
Close #1

' This example opens the file in Binary mode for writing
operations only.
Open "TESTFILE" For Binary Access Write As #1
' Close before reopening in another mode.
Close #1

' The following example opens the file in Random mode. The file
contains records of the user-defined type Record.
Type Record' Define user-defined type.
ID As Integer
Name As String * 20
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End Type
Dim recRecord As Record' Declare variable.
Open "TESTFILE" For Random As #1 Len = Len(recRecord)
' Close before reopening in another mode.
Close #1

' This code example opens the file for sequential output; any
process can read or write to file.
Open "TESTFILE" For Output Shared As #1
' Close before reopening in another mode.
Close #1

' This code example opens the file in Binary mode for reading;
other processes can't read file.
Open "TESTFILE" For Binary Access Read Lock Read As #1
' Close before reopening in another mode.
Close #1

Option Base

Description Declares the default lower bound for array subscripts.

The Option Base statement is optional. If used, it can appear only once in a
CitectVBA file, and must be used before you declare the dimensions of any
arrays.
The value of the 'number' parameter must be either 0 or 1. The default is 0.
The To clause in the array subscript range of a Dim statement provides a more
flexible way to control the lower bound of an array. If you don't explicitly set the
lower bound with a To clause, the Option Base setting (if used) comes into affect,
or defaults to zero (if not used).
The example below uses the Option Base statement to override the default base
array subscript value of 0.

Syntax Option Base Num

Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.
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Related Functions Dim ReDim

Example ' Module level statement

Option Base 1

' Create the array

Dim Arr(20)
' Declare message variables
Dim Msg As String
Dim NL as String
' Define newline
NL = Chr(10) & Chr(13)
' Create message
Msg = "The lower bound is " & LBound(Arr) & "."
Msg = Msg & NL & "The upper bound is " & UBound(Arr) & "."
' Display message
MsgBox Msg

Option Compare

Description Determines how strings are compared within a CitectVBA module. The optional
Option Compare statement if used, must be placed at the top of the CitectVBA
file along with any other Option declarations.

Related Functions InStr StrComp

Example Option Compare Binary

Dim vntResult as Variant
vntResult = StrComp("CitectVBA rules!", "Citectvba Rules!")
' returns 1 (strings unequal)

Example Option Compare Text

Dim vntResult as Variant
vntResult = StrComp("CitectVBA rules!", "Citectvba Rules!")
' returns 0 (strings equal)
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Option Explicit

Description Forces explicit declaration of all variables.

The optional Option Explicit statement if used, must be placed at the top of the
CitectVBA file. This causes a check of variable declarations at compile time.
Setting this option is a good way to catch misspelling of variables in your code.

Syntax Option Explicit

Related Functions Const, Dim

Example Option Explicit

' various statements go here
' a compile error will occur with the following line
strMyVar = "This string assignment won't work"
'because strMyVar is not explicitly declared

Print (function)

Description Displays a message in the runtime Citect Kernel, and the Cicode Editor output
window if you are in debug mode.
Note: Do not confuse this function with the Print # statement, which prints data
to disk.

Related Functions TraceMsg Cicode function

Print #

Description Print # statement reads data from OutputList and writes that data to a sequential
file.
The Print # statement has two parameters FileNum and OutputList.
The required FileNum argument is the associated file number used in the Open
statement when the file was opened.
The required OutputList argument is a delimited list of expressions whose values
are written to the file.
Note: The number sign hash character ( # ) preceding FileNum is not optional.
This character indicates disk file access with the file referenced by the system file
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 169

number that follows it. Do not confuse Print # which prints to disk, with Print
which displays data on the screen.
Data written with Print # is usually read from a file with Line Input # or Input.
Note: If you want to read the data from a file using the Input # statement, use the
Write # statement instead of the Print # statement to write the data to the file.
Using Write # ensures the integrity of each separate data field by properly
delimiting it, so it can be read back in using Input #. Using Write # also ensures it
can be correctly read in any locale.
If you omit expressionlist, the Print # statement prints a blank line in the file, but
you must include the comma. Because Print # writes an image of the data to the
file, you must delimit the data so it is printed correctly. If you use commas as
delimiters, Print # also writes the blanks between print fields to the file.
The Print # statement usually writes Variant data to a file the same way it writes
any other data type. However, there are some exceptions:
If the data being written is a Variant of VarType 0 (Empty), Print # writes nothing
to the file for that data item.
If the data being written is a Variant of VarType 1 (Null), Print # writes the literal
#NULL# to the file.
If the data being written is a Variant of VarType 7 (Date), Print # writes the date
to the file using the Short Date format defined in the WIN.INI file. When either
the date or the time component is missing or zero, Print # writes only the part
provided to the file.

Syntax Print #FileNum, OutputList

FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.
OutputList . File Output List: The argument 'OutputList ' may contain one or
more formatted numeric and/or string expressions to be written to
the file using the following syntax:
[ {Spc( s ) | Tab [( n ) ] } ] [expression] [charpos]
where:
[ ] square brackets are used for illustrative purposes to indicate in the code
that the arguments they enclose are optionally used in the OutputList . Do
not use the square brackets themselves in your code.
{ } curly braces are required to encompass and delineate the arguments they
enclose, and to separate their contents from the other arguments in the
OutputList.
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( | ) vertical line are used for illustrative purposes to indicate in the code that
either side of the line is an alternative argument. You can use the argument
provided on one of the line or the other, but not both arguments at the same
time within the same set of curly braces. Do not include the vertical line in
your code.
{Spc( s) } argument is optionally used to insert 's' number of space characters
in the output file at the position of the argument in the OutputList. The Spc
argument must be enclosed by curly braces to delineate it from an expression.
The Spc argument can be repeated any number of times to insert spaces in
the file between expressions. The Spc argument is mutually exclusive with the
Tab argument when used within the same set of curly braces.
{Tab(n) } argument is optionally used to position the insertion point to an
absolute column number in the output file at the position of the argument in
the OutputList, where 'n' is the column number. Use Tab with no argument to
position the insertion point at the beginning of the next print zone. The Tab
argument must be enclosed by curly braces to delineate it from an expression.
The Tab argument can be repeated any number of times to insert tabs in the
file between expressions. The Tab argument is mutually exclusive with the Spc
argument when used within the same set of curly braces.
expression argument represents a valid numeric or string expression to
output to the file. The expression argument can be repeated any number of
times.
charpos is the character that determines the position of the next character in
the output. A semicolon means the next character is printed immediately
after the last character; a comma means the next character is printed at the
start of the next print zone. Print zones begin every 14 columns. If neither
character is specified, the next character is printed on the next line.

Related Functions Get # GetAttr Input Line Input # Put # Write #

Example The following example writes data to a test file.

Dim I, FNum, FName' Declare variables.
For I = 1 To 3
FNum = FreeFile' Determine next file number.
FName = "TEST" & FNum
Open FName For Output As FNum' Open file.
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Print #1, "This is test #" & I' Write string to file.
Print #1, "Here is another "; "line"; I
Next I
Close' Close all files.
The following example writes data to a test file and reads it back.
Dim FileData, Msg, NL' Declare variables.
NL = Chr(10)' Define newline.
Open "TESTFILE" For Output As #1' Open to write file.
Print #1, "This is a test of the Print # statement."
Print #1,' Print blank line to file.
Print #1, "Zone 1", "Zone 2"' Print in two print zones.
Print #1, "With no space between" ; "." ' Print two strings
together.
Close #1

Open "TESTFILE" for Input As #2' Open to read file.

Do While Not EOF(2)
Line Input #2, FileData' Read a line of data.
Msg = Msg & FileData & NL' Construct message.
MsgBox Msg
Loop
Close #2' Close all open files.
Kill "TESTFILE"' Remove file from disk.

Put #

Description Put # statement writes data from a variable to a disk file.

The required FileNum argument is a system reference number associated with an
open file.
Note: The number sign ( # ) preceding FileNum is not optional.
The optional RecNum argument is the byte position where the read starts for files
opened in Binary mode. The first record or byte in a file is at position 1, the
second record or byte is at position 2, and so on. If you omit RecNum, the next
record or byte following the last Get or Put statement (or pointed to by the last
Seek function) is read. You must include delimiting commas.
172 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
The required VarName is the name of the variable where the file data is read
(copied) from.
Data written with the Put # statement is usually read from a file with the Get #
statement.
Random modeFor files opened in Random mode, the following rules apply:
If the length of the data being written is less than the length specified in the Len
clause of the Open statement, Put writes subsequent records on record-length
boundaries. The space between the end of one record and the beginning of the
next record is padded with the existing contents of the file buffer. Because the
amount of padding data can't be determined with any certainty, it is generally a
good idea to have the record length match the length of the data being written. If
the length of the data being written is greater than the length specified in the Len
clause of the Open statement, an error occurs.
If the variable being written is a variable-length string, Put writes a 2-byte
descriptor containing the string length and then the variable. The record length
specified by the Len clause in the Open statement must be at least 2 bytes greater
than the actual length of the string.
If the variable being written is a Variant of a numeric type, Put writes 2 bytes
identifying the VarType of the Variant and then writes the variable. For example,
when writing a Variant of VarType 3, Put writes 6 bytes: 2 bytes identifying the
Variant as VarType 3 (Long) and 4 bytes containing the Long data. The record
length specified by the Len clause in the Open statement must be at least 2 bytes
greater than the actual number of bytes required to store the variable.
Note: You can use the Put statement to write a Variant array to disk, but you
can't use Put to write a scalar Variant containing an array to disk. You also can't
use Put to write objects to disk.
If the variable being written is a Variant of VarType 8 (String), Put writes 2 bytes
identifying the VarType, 2 bytes indicating the length of the string, and then
writes the string data. The record length specified by the Len clause in the Open
statement must be at least 4 bytes greater than the actual length of the string.
If the variable being written is a dynamic array, Put writes a descriptor whose
length equals 2 plus 8 times the number of dimensions, that is, 2 + 8 *
NumberOfDimensions. The record length specified by the Len clause in the
Open statement must be greater than or equal to the sum of all the bytes
required to write the array data and the array descriptor. For example, the
following array declaration requires 118 bytes when the array is written to disk.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 173

Dim MyArray(1 To 5,1 To 10) As Integer

The 118 bytes are distributed as follows: 18 bytes for the descriptor (2 + 8 * 2),
and 100 bytes for the data (5 * 10 * 2).
If the variable being written is a fixed-size array, Put writes only the data. No
descriptor is written to disk.
If the variable being written is any other type of variable (not a variable-length
string or a Variant), Put writes only the variable data. The record length specified
by the Len clause in the Open statement must be greater than or equal to the
length of the data being written.
Put writes elements of user-defined types as if each were written individually,
except there is no padding between elements. On disk, a dynamic array in a
user-defined type written with Put is prefixed by a descriptor whose length
equals 2 plus 8 times the number of dimensions, that is, 2 + 8 *
NumberOfDimensions. The record length specified by the Len clause in the
Open statement must be greater than or equal to the sum of all the bytes
required to write the individual elements, including any arrays and their
descriptors.
Binary mode
For files opened in Binary mode, all of the Random rules apply, except:
The Len clause in the Open statement has no effect. Put writes all variables to
disk contiguously; that is, with no padding between records.
For any array other than an array in a user-defined type, Put writes only the
data. No descriptor is written.
Put writes variable-length strings that aren't elements of user-defined types
without the 2-byte length descriptor. The number of bytes written equals the
number of characters in the string. For example, the following statements write
10 bytes to file number 1:
VarString$ = String$(10," ")
Put writes variable-length strings that are not elements of user-defined types
without the 2-byte length descriptor.
Put #1,,VarString$

Syntax Put #FileNum, RecNum, VarName

FileNum . . . File Number: The argument 'FileNum ' must contain an Integer or
numeric expression representing any valid number in the range 1 to
511 inclusive, which is referenced by the file system to be associated
with an open file.
RecNum . . . Record Number: The argument 'RecNum ' .
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VarName . . . Variable Name: The argument 'VarName ' must be a string

representing a valid variable name.

Related Functions Get # GetAttr Input Line Input # Put # Write #

Example ' This example uses the Put statement to write data to a file.
' Five records of the user-defined type Record are written to the
file.
Type Record' Define user-defined type.
ID As Integer
Name As String * 20
End Type

Dim MyRecord As Record, RecordNumber' Declare variables.

' Open file for random access.
Open "TESTFILE" For Random As #1 Len = Len(MyRecord)
For RecordNumber = 1 To 5' Loop 5 times.
MyRecord.ID = RecordNumber' Define ID.
MyRecord.Name = "My Name" & RecordNumber ' Create a string.
Put #1, RecordNumber, MyRecord' Write record to file.
Next RecordNumber
Close #1' Close file.

Randomize

Description The Randomize statement initialises the random number generator.

It has one optional parameter number. This parameter can be any valid number
and is used to initialise the random number generator. If you omit the parameter
then the value returned by the Timer event is used as the default parameter to
seed the random number generator.

Syntax Randomize[number]

Related Functions Timer

Example Dim MValue

' Initialise random-number generator
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 175

Randomize
MValue = Int((6 * Rnd) + 1)
Print MValue

ReDim

Description Used to size or resize a dynamic array that has already been declared using the
Dim statement with empty parentheses.
Use the ReDim statement to change the number of elements in and array, but not
to change the number of dimensions in an array or the type of the elements in
the array.

Syntax ReDim ArrayName(Subscripts)[As Type][,varname(Subscripts)]

ArrayName . Array Name: The argument 'ArrayName ' must be a string or
expression that can represent a valid variable array name.
Subscripts . . Subscripts: The argument 'Subscripts ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid To numeric value range when
declaring the dimensions of an variable array . Up to 60 multiple
dimensions may be declared.
The subscripts argument uses the following syntax:
[lower To] upper [,[lower To] upper] . . .
When not explicitly stated in lower, the lower bound of an array is controlled by
the Option Base statement. The lower bound is zero if no Option Base statement
is present in the CitectVBA file.

Related Functions Dim Const Static

Example Dim TestArray() As Integer

Dim I
ReDim TestArray(10)
For I = 1 To 10
TestArray(I) = I + 10
Print TestArray(I)
Next I
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Rem

Description Used to include explanatory comments in a program.

Syntax Rem <Comment>

where <Comment> is the text of any comment you want to include in the code.

Example ' This is another way to comment

Rem This is a remark

Right

Description Returns the right most Num characters of Str. The required Str argument is a
String expression from which the rightmost characters are returned. If Str
contains Null, Null is returned.
The required Num argument is a Variant (Long) numeric expression indicating
how many characters to return. If 0, a zero-length string (" ") is returned. If
greater than or equal to the number of characters in string, the entire string is
returned.
Note: To determine the number of characters in a string, use the Len function.

Syntax Right(Str, Num)

Return Value The Right function returns a variant containing a string data type.
The Right$ function returns a string.

Related Functions InStr Left, Left$ Mid

Example Dim strGreeting as String

Dim strTest
strGreeting = "Hello World"
strTest = Right(strGreeting, 1)' Returns "d"
strTest = Right(strGreeting, 5)' Returns "World"
strTest = Right(strGreeting, 20)' Returns "Hello World"
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RmDir

Description The RmDir statement deletes the directory specified in the Path parameter.
The required parameter Path must be a string or expression that can represent a
valid DOS file structure path value, must contain a directory name, may contain
a relative path structure, and may contain a drive letter. The Path parameter
must be limited to less than 128 characters.
The RmDir statement is relative to the current directory. If no path structure is
provided, the directory is expected to be a subdirectory of the current directory.
If no drive is specified, the RmDir statement deletes the directory on the current
drive.
The current directory cannot be deleted. To change the current directory to
another directory, use the ChDir statement. The directory to be deleted must be
empty and contain no files or sub-directories. To delete files in a directory, use
the Kill statement.
Note: The file system keeps track of the current drive, and the current directory
of every drive. Use the CurDir statement to determine the current directory. The
current drive letter can be extracted from the Left character returned in the
CurDir statement.

Syntax RmDir Path

Path . . . . . . . Path: The parameter 'Path ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid DOS file structure path value. This includes a
directory name, and may include a relative or static directory or
folder structure and drive letter, in the order:
[<driveletter>:][\<rootdirectoryname>][\<subdirectory> ...
\<subdirectory>\] directoryname
Note: The path can be relative to the current directory. A single dot represents
the current directory. ( . ) Two dots represent the parent directory of the current
directory. ( .. ) For example, chdir .. changes to the parent directory of the current
directory. chdir ..\test changes to the test subdirectory of the parent directory

Related Functions ChDir ChDrive CurDir, CurDir$ Dir MkDir

Example Dim strDir As String

strDir = CurDir' retrieve current directory name
Kill "*.*"' delete all files from current directory
ChDir "\"' change to root dir on current drive
RmDir strDir' delete directory
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Rnd

Description Generates a decimal fraction number using the optional argument value (Num)
to determine the sequence of the (random) number generation.
Rnd expects the argument (Num) if supplied, to be a valid numeric value.
If Num is less than zero, Rnd generates the same number every time, using Num
as the seed. If Num is equal than zero, Rnd repeats the most recently generated
number. If Num is greater than zero, Rnd generates the next random number in
the sequence. If Num is not supplied, Rnd generates the next random number in
the sequence.
Before calling Rnd, use the Randomize statement without an argument to
initialise the random-number generator with a seed based on the system timer.
Note: The square brackets [ ] in the syntax indicate that the argument is optional.
Do NOT include the square brackets in your code.

Syntax Rnd[(Num)]
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns a (random) decimal fraction number influenced by the (Num) provided
in the argument. The return value lies in the range of less than 1 but greater than
or equal to 0.

Related Functions Randomize

Example Dim vntRndValue

Randomize' Initialize random-number generator.
vntRndValue = Int((6 * Rnd) + 1) ' returns a value between 1 and 6

RTrim

Description Strips any trailing spaces from Str variable.

Syntax RTrim(Str)
Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a String.

Related Functions LTrim Trim

Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 179

Example Dim strTest as String

Dim strResult as String
Dim lngStartLength as Long
Dim lngFinishLength as Long
strTest = "CitectVBA "
lngStartLength = Len(strTest)' returns 14
strResult = RTrim(strTest)' returns "CitectVBA"
lngStringLength = Len(strResult)' returns 9

Second

Description Calculates the second value from the given time argument passed to the
function.

Syntax Second(Time)
Time. . . . . . . Time: The argument 'Time ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a time value. This includes and combination of time
literals, numbers that look like times, strings that look like times,
and times from functions.

Return Value Returns an integer that is the second portion of the parameter (Time ).

Related Functions Hour Minute

Example Dim varMySec, varMyTime

varMyTime = "08:04:23 PM"
varMySec = Second(varMyTime)
' stores seconds value.

Seek

Description Sets the current position within a file opened using the Open statement, ready
for the next read or write action.
The required FileNum argument must contain an Integer representing any valid
system file number associated with an open file.
The required Position argument must contain an Integer or expression
representing a valid number.
180 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Syntax Seek FileNum, Position

Related Functions EOF FileLen Loc LOF

Example Open "TESTFILE" For Input As #1' Open file for reading.
For i = 1 To 24 Step 3' Loop until end of file.
Seek #1, i' Seek to byte position
MyChar = Input(1, #1)' Read next character of data.
Print MyChar'Print character of data
Next i
Close #1' Close file.

Select

Description The Select Case statement tests the same variable for many different conditions.
The test value provided with the initial Select Case statement is logically tested
against the Case test condition.
The Select Case structure can perform different blocks of statements dependant
upon whichever Case statement test condition (if more than one) first results as
True, through the use of the Case statement block:
Select Case <TestValue>
Case <Condition>
' Case statement block
' perform only if case true
<Statement/s>
Case Else
' Else statement block
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 181

' perform only if all cases false

<Statement/s>
End Select
If the result of the Case test condition was True, the program flow performs the
statements contained within that Case statement block, and will then exit the
Select Case structure (without performing any of the Else statement block
statements).
If the result of the Case test condition was False, the program flow jumps
completely over the Case statement block (without performing any of those
statements) to the Case Else statement to perform the statements in the Else
statement block until it reaches the End Select statement.
Further test conditions can be placed into a Select Case structure through the
optional use of further Case statement blocks. Case statement blocks can only be
positioned within a Select Case structure before the Case Else statement block.
Select Case <TestValue>
Case <Condition>
' Case statement block
' perform only if case true
<Statement/s>
Case <Condition>
' Case statement block
' perform only if case true
<Statement/s>
Case Else
' Else statement block
' perform only if all cases false
<Statement/s>
End Select
Each Case statement block is evaluated in order until the test condition of one
results as True. The program flow performs the statements contained within that
Case statement block, and will then exit the Select Case structure (without
performing any other statements).
The statements of ONLY one Case statement block are ever performed, unless all
result in False and there is no Case Else block declared, in which case no Case
statement blocks are performed at all.
The following example may help clarify the logic testing being performed in a
Select Case structure. Lets say that we have a variable named (intDayOfWeek)
182 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

containing an integer (ranging from 1 to 7) representing the day of the week, and
we wished to display that value as a string (named strDayOfWeek) containing
the name of the day of the week, assuming in this example, that Sunday is the
first day of the week (1). The Select Case structure would look like this:
Dim strDayOfWeek As String

Select Case intDayOfWeek

Case = 1
StrDayOfWeek = "Sunday"
Case = 2
StrDayOfWeek = "Monday"
Case = 3
StrDayOfWeek = "Tuesday"
Case = 4
StrDayOfWeek = "Wednesday"
Case = 5
StrDayOfWeek = "Thursday"
Case = 6
StrDayOfWeek = "Friday"
Case = 7
StrDayOfWeek = "Saturday"
Case Else
StrDayOfWeek = "Invalid"
End Select
The Select Case structure tends to be easier to read, understand, and follow and
should be used in place of a complicated multi-nested If...ElseIf structure.

SendKeys

Description Sends one or more keystrokes to the active window of the active application as if
they had been entered at the keyboard.
The value of the Wait argument determines when the SendKeys function
completes and returns control to CitectVBA. If omitted, Wait is treated as FALSE
by default.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 183

Note: You can't use SendKeys to send keystrokes to an application that is not
designed to run in Microsoft Windows. Sendkeys also can't send the PRINT
SCREEN key {PRTSC} to any application..

Syntax SendKeys(keys, wait)

keys represents the string that is sent to the active window.
wait represents enter TRUE or FALSE.
If wait is true the keystrokes must be processed before control is returned to the
calling procedure. This argument is optional. If you omit it, it is assumed to be
false.

Return Value None

Example Dim intCounter As Integer' Declare variables.

Dim dblProgID As Double, ' Launch Windows Calculator program.
dblProgID = Shell("Calc.exe", 1)' Set up counting loop.
For intCounter = 1 To 5' Send keystrokes to Calculator
SendKeys intCounter & "{+}", True' to add the value of intCounter
each time
Next intCounter ' Return focus to Calculator.
AppActivate "Calculator"' Send keystrokes toClose Calculator.

SendKeys "%{F4}", True

Set

Description Assigns an OLE Automation object reference to a variable of object type.

Syntax SyntaxSet <objVarName> = CreateObject(<objClassName>)| Nothing

where:
Set is the required reference assignment statement keyword

<objVarName> represents the required name of the variable receiving the

reference and either:
CreateObject is the required object declaration function keyword

( ) defines the required argument section of the CreateObject function

<objClassName> represents the required class name of the object to be

created, or:
184 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Nothing is the keyword used to release the object reference

The object variable (<objVarName>) must be declared before it can be set to
reference an OLE Automation object.

Related Functions CreateObject Nothing

Example ' create variable to store object reference

Sgn

Description Indicates the sign of a number. Sgn does not round the number, and ignores the
fractional value of the number.
Sgn expects the argument (Num) to be a valid numeric value. If Num is greater
than zero, Sgn returns the value of 1. If Num is equal to zero, Sgn returns the
value of 0. If Num is less than zero, Sgn returns the value of -1.

Syntax Sgn(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns a value indicating the Sign (+ or - ) value of the (Num) provided in the
argument.

Related Functions Abs Fix Int Sqrt

Example Dim vntVal

vntVal = Sgn(99.8)' returns 1
vntVal = Sgn(-99.8)' returns -1
vntVal = Sgn(0)' returns 0
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 185

Sin

Description Calculates the trigonometric Sine value of an angle. The Sin function expects the
argument (Rad) to be a valid angle value in radians, and calculates the ratio of
two sides of a right-angle triangle. The ratio is the length of the side opposite to
the angle divided by the length of the hypotenuse.
To convert degrees to radians, multiply degrees by Pi/180 . To convert radians to
degrees, multiply radians by 180/Pi. For more information, see Circle Maths.

Syntax Sin(Rad)
Rad . . . . . . . Radians: The argument 'Rad ' must be expressed in radians, and
must be a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the Sine value of the angle (Rad) provided in the argument. The result
lies in the range - 1 to + 1.

Related Functions Atn Cos Tan

Example Variable=Sin(0.7854);! Sets Variable to 0.7071

Space

Description Creates a String consisting of the specified number Num of spaces. The Space
function is useful for formatting output and clearing data in fixed-length strings.

Syntax Space(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns a Variant containing a String data type.

Related Functions String

Example Dim strTest as String

' Returns a string with 10 spaces.
strTest = Space(10)

' Insert 10 spaces between two strings.

strTest = "Hello" & Space(10) & "World"
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Sqrt

Description Calculates the square root of a number. Sqrt expects the argument (Num) to be a
valid numeric value greater than or equal to 0.

Syntax Sqrt(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the square root value of the (Num) provided in the argument.

Related Functions Abs Fix Int Sgn

Example Variable=Sqrt(4);
! Sets Variable to 2.

Static

Description The Static statement allocates storage for—and declares the data type of—
variables and arrays that will retain their values between subsequent references.
Static variables are more commonly used within procedures (subroutines and
functions), and have local scope.

Syntax Static <VariableName>[(<Subscripts>)] [As <DataType>]

where:
Static is the required variable declaration statement BASIC keyword

<VariableName> represents the required name of the variable being

declared (dimensioned)
( ) are the optional parentheses to hold an array subscript range
(dimensions)
<Subscripts> represents the optional subscript range for an array
As is the optional As statement keyword declaring the variable data type

<DataType> represents the optional CitectVBA data type declaration for the
variable

Related Functions Const Dim ReDim

Example Static bytVar As Byte

Static binVar As Boolean
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 187

Static strVar As String

Static intVar As Integer
Static lngVar As Long
Static sngVar As Single
Static dblVar As Double
Static vntVar As Variant
Static objVar As Object
Static dtmVar As Date
Static udtVar As <UserDefinedTypeName>

Stop

Description Ends execution of the program. The Stop statement can be placed anywhere in
your code.

Example Dim x,y,z

For x = 1 to 5
For y = 1 to 5
For z = 1 to 5
Print "Looping",z,y,x
Next z
Next y
Stop
Next x

Str

Description Converts a numeric value to a text string containing numeric characters. The Str
function expects the argument (Num ) to be a valid numeric value.
The Str function is often used to prepare a numerical value for display as a string
in a caption, label, string field, or string expression.
The Str function performs the opposite of the Val function, which converts a text
string containing numeric characters to a numeric value.
188 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Note: Be careful of data type coercion issues with variant data types. See
Variants.
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value. SyntaxStr(Num)

Return Value Returns a string containing the numeric character representation of the numeric
(Num) value provided in the argument.
The Str function always reserves the first return string character for the sign of
Num. If Num is positive, a leading space is used and the plus sign is implied.

Related Functions Format Hex Oct Val

Example Dim vntVar ' declare result holder variable

vntVar = Str()' returns " "

vntVar = Str(65)' returns " 65"
vntVar = Str(97.578)' returns " 97.578"
vntVar = Str(-97.578)' returns "-97.578"

StrComp

Description Returns an integer that is the result of the comparison of two strings.
The required String1 argument is any valid string expression. The required
String2 argument is any valid string expression.
The optional Compare argument is a numeric expression that specifies the type of
string comparison. It can be omitted, 0, or 1. Specify 0 (default) to perform a
binary comparison. Specify 1 to perform a textual comparison. If compare is
Null, an error occurs.

Syntax StrComp(String1, String2)

String1 . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.
String2 . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a variant containing an integer data type indicating the result of the
string compare:
Returns –1 where String1 is less than String2.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 189

Returns 0 where String1 is equal to String2.

Returns 1 where String1 is greater than String2.
Returns Null where String1 or String2 is Null.

Example Dim strTest1 as String

Dim strTest2 as String
Dim strTest3 as String
Dim vntComp
strTest1 = "ABCD"
strTest2 = "abcd"
strTest3 = NULL
vntComp = StrComp(strTest1, strTest2)
' Returns -1 (less than)
vntComp = StrComp(strTest1, strTest1)
' Returns 0 (equal to)
vntComp = StrComp(strTest2, strTest1)
' Returns 1 (greater than)
vntComp = StrComp(strTest1, strTest3)
' Returns NULL (strTest3 is NULL)

String

Description Creates a string that consists of one character repeated a specific number of
times.
The required Num argument is Long numeric expression indicating how many
characters to return. If Num contains Null, Null is returned.
The required Character argument is a String expression from which the first
character is repeated and returned, or is a Variant (Long) representing a valid
character code. If character contains Null, Null is returned.

Syntax String(Num)
Num . . . . . . Number: The argument 'Num ' must contain an Integer or
expression representing a valid numeric value.

Related Functions Space

Example Dim strTest as String

strTest = String(5, "*")
' Returns "*****"
strTest = String(5, 42)
' Returns "44444"
190 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

strTest = String(10, "Today")

' Returns "TTTTTTTTTT"

Sub

Description Declares and defines a subroutine procedure, its name, parameters, and code to
be enacted upon when the subroutine is called. Subroutines differ from
functions in that functions return a value, whereas subroutines do not.
The required SubroutineName is the name of the subroutine being declared.
The optional ArgList is the list of arguments used within the subroutine.
A CitectVBA subroutine starts with the SUB statement and finishes with the
END SUB statement. All other statements that lie between the SUB and END
SUB statements, will be executed by the subroutine, when called to do so.

Syntax Sub

Related Functions Call, End Function, End Sub, Exit

Example Function GetColor2( c% ) As Long

Sub TestColor2
Dim I as integer
For I = 1 to 10
Print GetColor2(I)
Next I
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 191

End Sub

Tan

Description Calculates the trigonometric Tangent value of an angle. The Tan function expects
the argument (Rad) to be a valid angle value in radians, and calculates the ratio
of two sides of a right-angle triangle. The ratio is the length of the side opposite
to the angle divided by the length of the side adjacent to the angle.
Note: To convert degrees to radians, multiply degrees by Pi/180. To convert
radians to degrees, multiply radians by 180/Pi.

Syntax Tan(Rad)
Rad . . . . . . . Radians: The argument 'Rad ' must be expressed in radians, and
must be a valid numeric value.

Return Value Returns the Tangent value of the angle (Rad) provided in the argument. Tan will
return as a double.

Example Variable=Tan(1);! Sets Variable to 1.5574...

Time

Description Determines the current system time according to the setting of the computer's
clock. Unlike other functions, Time does not require trailing parentheses.
The required timevalue argument is any numeric expression, string expression,
or any combination, that can represent a time value.
The Time() function (brackets included) determines the current system time
according to the setting of the computer's clock.

Syntax Time[()]

Return Value The Time() function returns a variant (Date) indicating the current system time.

Related Functions Date Timer Now

Example ' Time function example

Dim varMyTime
varMyTime = Time
' stores current system time.
192 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Time (statement)

Description Sets the system time.

Related Functions Date statement

Example ' Time statement example

Dim varMyTime
' Assign a time.
varMyTime = #4:35:17 PM#
' Set system time to variant varMyTime.
Time = varMyTime

Timer

Description The Timer event is used to track elapsed time or can be displayed as a stopwatch
in a dialog.

Syntax Timer()

Return Value The number of seconds since midnight.

Related Functions Date Time Now

Example Dim TS As Single

Dim TE As Single
Dim TEL As Single

TS = Timer
MsgBox "Starting Timer"
TE = Timer
TT = TE - TS
Print TT
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 193

TimeSerial

Description Constructs a time value serially from the given Hrs, Mins, and Secs arguments
passed to the function. The TimeSerial Function expects all three arguments to
be valid.

Syntax TimeSerial()

Return Value Returns a Variant (of date data type) containing a time value corresponding to
the Hrs, Mins, and Secs values that were passed in to the function.

Related Functions DateSerial

Example Dim varMyTime

varMyTime = TimeSerial(14, 35, 17)
' stores time as 2:35:17 PM

TimeValue

Description Calculates a time. The TimeValue function expects the argument value (Time ) to
be a string or any expression that can represent a time value.

Syntax TimeValue(Time)
Time. . . . . . . Time: The argument 'Time ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a time value. This includes and combination of time
literals, numbers that look like times, strings that look like times,
and times from functions.

Return Value Returns a variant (of date data type) corresponding to the parameter (Time ).

Related Functions DateValue

Example Dim varMyTime

varMyTime = TimeValue("2:35:17 PM")
' stores time as 14:35:17

Trim

Description Strips any leading and trailing spaces from Str variable.
194 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Syntax Trim(Str)
Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a String.

Related Functions LTrim RTrim

Example Dim strTest as String

Dim strResult as String
Dim lngStartLength as Long
Dim lngFinishLength as Long
strTest = " CitectVBA "
lngStartLength = Len(strTest)
' returns 19
strResult = Trim(strTest)
' returns "CitectVBA"
lngStringLength = Len(strResult)
' returns 9

Ubound

Description Determines the value of the largest subscript for the (ArrayDimension) of the
(ArrayName) provided in the argument. Ubound expects the required argument
(ArrayName) to be a valid variable array name.
The optional argument (ArrayDimension) must be a whole long number
indicating which dimension's lower bound is to be returned. Use 1 for the first
dimension, 2 for the second, and so on. If ArrayDimension is omitted, 1 is
assumed.

Syntax Ubound(ArrayName, ArrayDimension)

Return Value Returns a number of Long data type.

Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 195

Related Functions Lbound

Example Dim Upper

Dim MyArray(1 To 10, 5 To 15, 10 To 20) ' Declare array variables.
Dim AnyArray(10)
Upper = UBound(MyArray, 1) ' Returns 10.
Upper = UBound(MyArray, 3) ' Returns 20.
Upper = UBound(AnyArray) ' Returns 10.

UCase

Description Converts all lowercase letters in Str to uppercase letters. All uppercase letters
and non-letter characters remain unchanged.

Syntax UCase(Str)
Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns a string.

Related Functions UCase

Example Dim strMixedCase as String

Dim strLowerCase as String
Dim strUpperCase as String
strMixedCase = "AbCdE"
strLowerCase = LCase(strMixedCase)' returns "abcde"
strUpperCase = UCase(strMixedCase)' returns "ABCDE"

Val

Description Converts a text string containing numeric characters to a numeric value. The Val
function expects the argument (Str ) to be a valid string expression. The Val
function stops reading the string when it reaches a non numeric character.
Symbols such as dollar signs and commas are not recognised; however, radix
prefixes for octal (&0) and hexadecimal (&H) are. Blanks, tabs and linefeeds are
stripped out from the return.
196 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

The Val function performs the opposite of the Str function, which converts a
numeric value to a text string containing numeric characters.

Syntax Val(Str)
Str . . . . . . . . String: The argument 'Str ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a valid text value.

Return Value Returns the numeric value of a string of characters extracted from the (Str )
provided in the argument.

Related Functions Format Hex Oct Str

Example Dim vntVar ' declare result holder variable

vntVar = Val("65")' returns 65

vntVar = Val("90 Main St.")' returns 90
vntVar = Val("12+34+56")' returns 12
vntVar = Val(" 12 34 56 ")' returns 123456
vntVar = Val("&0FF")' returns
vntVar = Val("Zoe")' returns 0

VarType

Description Determines the data type of a Variant variable.

The required VarName argument is a Variant containing any variable (except
user-defined type).

Syntax VarType(VarName)
VarName . . . Variable Name: The argument 'VarName ' must be a string
representing a valid variable name.

Return Value These are the return values:

Return ValueData Type
0 Empty
1 Null
2 Integer
3 Long
4 Single
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 197

0 Empty
5 Double
6 Not Applicable
7 Date/Time
8 String

Related Functions IsDate IsEmpty IsNull IsNumeric

Example Dim IntVar, StrVar, DateVar, MyCheck

' Initialize variables.
IntVar = 459
StrVar = "Hello World"
DateVar = #2/12/69#
MyCheck = VarType(IntVar)' Returns 2.
MyCheck = VarType(DateVar)' Returns 7.
MyCheck = VarType(StrVar)' Returns 8.

VbCallOpen function

Description The VbCallOpen function is a Cicode function used to call a CitectVBA function
or subroutine from Cicode. It is used to initiate a call to the CitectVBA function
or subroutine and returns a handle (of OBJECT data type) to that opened
function call.
VbCallOpen is used in conjunction with VbCallRun and VbCallReturn
functions, which can all be nested to implement the entire function set with a
single line of Cicode. For further information, see the section “Calling CitectVBA
from Cicode”.

Syntax <ReturnValue> = VbCallOpen(<FunctName>, <ArgList>)

where:
<ReturnValue> represents the handle to the opened CitectVBA function.
<FunctName> represents the name of the CitectVBA function or subroutine
being called.
<ArgList> represents a comma separated list of arguments to pass to the
function or subroutine being called.

Return Value VbCallOpen returns an Object data type containing a handle to the CitectVBA
function being called. If the function fails the return value is zero.
198 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Related Functions VbCallRun function VbCallReturn function

Example FUNCTION
TestCitectVBA()
INT iRet;
STRING sMsg = "Hello";
INT iVal = 123;

iRet = VbCallReturn(VbCallRun(VbCallOpen("CiVBATest",
iVal)));
Message("TestCitectVBA Function", "CiVBATest = " +
IntToStr(iRet), 0);
END

Example Function CiVBATest(Value As Integer) As Integer

CiVBATest = Value * 2
End Function

VbCallRun function

Description Used to execute the CitectVBA function or subroutine (previously opened with
the Cicode VbCallOpen function), and requires the handle returned from the
VbCallOpen function call.
The VbCallRun function provides an opportunity for the opened CitectVBA
function to complete and return a value in the multi-threaded Citect/SCADA
environment. It passes its argument value (of OBJECT data type) through as its
return value upon completion.
VbCallRun is used in conjunction with VbCallOpen and VbCallReturn
functions, which can all be nested to implement the entire function set with a
single line of Cicode. For details, see Calling CitectVBA from Cicode.

Syntax <ReturnValue> = VbCallRun(<CallHandle>)

where:
<ReturnValue> represents the handle to the opened CitectVBA function
passed in as <CallHandle>.
<CallHandle> represents the handle to the previously opened CitectVBA
function as returned by the VbCallOpen function.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 199

Return Value VbCallRun (passes through and) returns a Object data type containing a handle
to the CitectVBA function being called.

Related Functions VbCallOpen function VbCallReturn function

Example FUNCTION
TestCitectVBA()
INT iRet;
STRING sMsg = "Hello";
INT iVal = 123;
iRet = VbCallReturn(VbCallRun(VbCallOpen("CiVBATest",
iVal)));
Message("TestCitectVBA Function", "CiVBATest = " +
IntToStr(iRet), 0);
END

Example Function CiVBATest(Value As Integer) As Integer

CiVBATest = Value * 2
End Function

VbCallReturn function

Description Used to obtain the return value of the completed CitectVBA function (previously
opened with the Cicode VbCallOpen function), and requires the handle
returned from the VbCallRun function call.
VbCallReturn is used in conjunction with VbCallOpen and VbCallRun
functions, which can all be nested to implement the entire function set with a
single line of Cicode. For further information, see the section “Calling CitectVBA
from Cicode”.

Syntax <ReturnValue> = VbCallReturn(<CallHandle>)

where:
<ReturnValue> represents the value returned by the completed CitectVBA
function (which was previously opened by the Cicode VbCallOpen
function). The data type of the return value is dependent upon the data type
of the return value for the CitectVBA function opened.
<CallHandle> represents the handle to the previously opened CitectVBA
function as returned by the Cicode VbCallRun function.
200 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

Return Value VbCallReturn returns the completed return value for the CitectVBA function.

Related Functions VbCallOpen function VbCallRun function

Example FUNCTION
TestCitectVBA()
INT iRet;
STRING sMsg = "Hello";
INT iVal = 123;

iRet = VbCallReturn(VbCallRun(VbCallOpen("CiVBATest",
iVal)));
Message("TestCitectVBA Function", "CiVBATest = " +
IntToStr(iRet), 0);
END

Example Function CiVBATest(Value As Integer) As Integer

CiVBATest = Value * 2
End Function

WeekDay

Description Calculates the weekday value of the given date argument passed to the function.
Date values in CitectVBA are evaluated using the Gregorian Calendar.

Syntax WeekDay(Date)
Date . . . . . . . Date: The argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.

Return Value Returns an integer between the range of 1–7 inclusive representing the whole
number for the weekday:
Return Value Description
1 Sunday
2 Monday
3 Tuesday
4 Wednesday
5 Thursday
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 201

Return Value Description

6 Friday
7 Saturday

Related Functions Date Year Month Day

Example Dim varMyBDate, varMyWeekDay

varMyBDate = #8/07/1958#
varMyWeekDay = WeekDay(varMyBDate)
' returns 3 (Tuesday)

While…Wend

Description The While...Wend loop conditional statement is similar to the Do While loop
statement. The condition is checked before executing the block of statements
comprising the loop.

Example While <condition>

<statement/s>
Wend

With Important: The With statement is not supported in CitectVBA.

When performing a series of commands on an object, you must explicitly refer to
the name of the object with each command.

Write #

Description Write # statement writes data to a Sequential file opened in output or append
mode and reads that data from a list of variables.
The Write # statement has two parameters FileNum and VarList. The required
FileNum argument is the associated file number used in the Open statement
when the file was opened. The required VarList argument is a comma delimited
list of variables that are assigned values read from the file.
Note: The file system keeps track of all open files and the current position of
access within every file. Every statement or function that accesses the data
202 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference

within a file, alters the current position within that file. The Loc function can be
used to determine the current position within an open file.
Data written to a file with the Write # statement is usually read with the Input #
statement.
Note: When saving data to a file for future reading with the Input # statement,
use the Write # statement instead of the Print # statement to write the data to the
file. Using Write # ensures the integrity of each separate data field by properly
delimiting it, so it can be read back in using Input #. Using Write # also ensures it
can be correctly read in any locale.

Syntax Write #FileNum, VarList

Related Functions Get # GetAttr Input Line Input # Print # Put #

Example Dim strFileContents As String

Dim strTemp As String
Dim strString As String
Dim intFileNum as Integer
Dim intNumber as Integer
intFileNum = FreeFile'retrieve next free file number
Open "c:\test.txt" For Output As #intFileNum' open file.
Write #intFileNum, "This is a test of the Write # statement."
Close #intFileNum

Year

Description Calculates the year from the given date argument passed to the function. Date
values in CitectVBA are evaluated using the Gregorian Calendar.

Syntax Year(Date)
Date . . . . . . . Date: The argument 'Date ' must be a string or expression that can
represent a date value. This includes any combination of date
literals, numbers that look like dates, strings that look like dates,
and dates from functions.
Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference 203

Return Value Returns an integer representing a year 1930–2029 inclusive.

Related Functions Date Month WeekDay Day

Example Dim varMyBDate, varMyYear

varMyDate = "08/07/58"
varMyYear = Year(varMyBDate)
' returns 1958
204 Chapter 6: CitectVBA Function Reference
Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code
Listings

The table below shows the Latin 1 ANSI character set.

Codes 0–31 are control codes. The standard ASCII codes are from 32–127
(decimal) and are common regardless of the ANSI set being used. The remaining
codes from 160–255 (decimal) vary between languages dependent upon the
ANSI set being used.
Symbol Decimal Hex
{NUL} 0 00
{SOH} 1 01
{STX} 2 02
{ETX} 3 03
{EOT} 4 04
{ENQ} 5 05
{ACK} 6 06
{BEL} 7 07
{BS} 8 08
{HT} 9 09
{LF} 10 0A
{VT} 11 0B
{FF} 12 0C
{CR} 13 0D
{SO} 14 0E
{SI} 15 0F
{DLE} 16 10
{DC1} 17 11
{DC2} 18 12
{DC3} 19 13
{DC4} 20 14
{NAK} 21 15
{SYN} 22 16
{ETB} 23 17
{CAN} 24 18
{EM} 25 19
{SUB} 26 1A
{ESC} 27 1B
20 Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings

Symbol Decimal Hex

{FS} 28 1C
{GS} 29 1D
{RS} 30 1E
{US} 31 1F
{SPC} 32 20
! 33 21
"34 22
# 35 23
$ 36 24
% 37 25
& 38 26
'39 27
( 40 28
) 41 29
* 42 2A
+ 43 2B
, 44 2C
- 45 2D
. 46 2E
/ 47 2F
0 48 30
1 49 31
2 50 32
3 51 33
4 52 34
5 53 35
6 54 36
7 55 37
8 56 38
9 57 39
: 58 3A
; 59 3B
< 60 3C
= 61 3D
> 62 3E
? 63 3F
@ 64 40
A 65 41
B 66 42
C 67 43
Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings 20

Symbol Decimal Hex

D 68 44
E 69 45
F 70 46
G 71 47
H 72 48
I 73 49
J 74 4A
K 75 4B
L 76 4C
M 77 4D
N 78 4E
O 79 4F
P 80 50
Q 81 51
R 82 52
S 83 53
T 84 54
U 85 55
V 86 56
W 87 57
X 88 58
Y 89 59
Z 90 5A
[ 91 5B
\ 92 5C
] 93 5D
^ 94 5E
_ 95 5F
`96 60
a 97 61
b 98 62
c 99 63
d 100 64
e 101 65
f 102 66
g 103 67
h 104 68
i 105 69
j 106 6A
k 107 6B
20 Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings

Symbol Decimal Hex

l 108 6C
m 109 6D
n 110 6E
o 111 6F
p 112 70
q 113 71
r 114 72
s 115 73
t 116 74
u 117 75
v 118 76
w 119 77
x 120 78
y 121 79
z 122 7A
{ 123 7B
| 124 7C
} 125 7D
~ 126 7E
{Delete} 127 7F
128 80
129 81
‚ 130 82
ƒ 131 83
„ 132 84
… 133 85
† 134 86
‡ 135 87
ˆ 136 88
‰ 137 89
Š 138 8A
‹ 139 8B
Œ 140 8C
141 8D
142 8E
143 8F
144 90
‘ 145 91
’ 146 92
"147 93
Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings 20

Symbol Decimal Hex

"148 94
• 149 95
– 150 96
— 151 97
˜ 152 98
™ 153 99
š 154 9A
› 155 9B
œ 156 9C
157 9D
158 9E
Ÿ 159 9F
{NBSP} 160 A0
¡ 161 A1
¢ 162 A2
£ 163 A3
¤ 164 A4
¥ 165 A5
¦ 166 A6
§ 167 A7
¨ 168 A8
© 169 A9
ª 170 AA
« 171 AB
¬ 172 AC
- 173 AD
® 174 AE
¯ 175 AF
° 176 B0
± 177 B1
² 178 B2
³ 179 B3
´ 180 B4
µ 181 B5
¶ 182 B6
· 183 B7
¸ 184 B8
¹ 185 B9
º 186 BA
» 187 BB
21 Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings

Symbol Decimal Hex

¼ 188 BC
½ 189 BD
¾ 190 BE
¿ 191 BF
À 192 C0
Á 193 C1
Â 194 C2
Ã 195 C3
Ä 196 C4
Å 197 C5
Æ 198 C6
Ç 199 C7
È 200 C8
É 201 C9
Ê 202 CA
Ë 203 CB
Ì 204 CC
Í 205 CD
Î 206 CE
Ï 207 CF
Ð 208 D0
Ñ 209 D1
Ò 210 D2
Ó 211 D3
Ô 212 D4
Õ 213 D5
Ö 214 D6
× 215 D7
Ø 216 D8
Ù 217 D9
Ú 218 DA
Û 219 DB
Ü 220 DC
Ý 221 DD
Þ 222 DE
ß 223 DF
à 224 E0
á 225 E1
â 226 E2
ã 227 E3
Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings 21

Symbol Decimal Hex

ä 228 E4
å 229 E5
æ 230 E6
ç 231 E7
è 232 E8
é 233 E9
ê 234 EA
ë 235 EB
ì 236 EC
í 237 ED
î 238 EE
ï 239 EF
ð 240 F0
ñ 241 F1
ò 242 F2
ó 243 F3
ô 244 F4
õ 245 F5
ö 246 F6
÷ 247 F7
ø 248 F8
ù 249 F9
ú 250 FA
û 251 FB
ü 252 FC
ý 253 FD
þ 254 FE
ÿ 255 FF
21 Appendix A: ASCII/ANSI Character Code Listings
Index CLng function, 107
Close statement, 107
A coercion and variant data types, 21
Abs function, 95 comments, 6
access, file, 69 file header, 6
Application Programming Interface (API), 54 comparing strings, 38
arguments, 51, 56, 58 concatenation, 38
arithmetical operators, 35 Const, 108
array subscripts, 18 Const statement, 108
arrays, 16 constant declaration, 12
declaration, 17 constant naming, 8
dimensions, 18 constants, 8, 11
dynamic size, 21 date, 28
fixed size, 19 declaring, 12
multi-dimensional, 20 scope, 4
subscripts, 18 constants, intrinsic, 14
Asc function, 95 constraints, date and time, 31
assigning references, 61 control structures, 39
assignment operators, 34 DO statement, 40
Atn function, 96 WHILE statement, 41
B Cos function, 109
Beep statement, 97 CSng function, 111
bounds, 18 CStr function, 111
ByRef, 56 CurDir function, 112
ByVal, 56 CVar function, 112
C D
calendars, in databases, 33 data types, 11
Call, 97 arrays, 16
Call statement, 97 coercion, 21
CDate function, 97 default, 21
CDbl function, 98 numeric, 24
character variant as default, 21
line continuation, 7 databases and calendars, 33
underscore, 7 date, 32
ChDir statement, 99 data type structure, 32
ChDrive statement, 100 date and time data constraints, 31
Chr function, 101 date constants, 28
CInt function, 106 date data type structure, 32
date formatting, 29
214 Index

Date function, 113 Fix function, 126

date functions, 89 fixed size arrays, 19
date handling, 27 floating point calculation rules, 25
date values, 32 floating point numbers, 24
DateSerial function, 114 FOR statement, 41
DateValue function, 114 Format function, 127
Day function, 115 formatting, date, 29
decimal numbers, 23 FreeFile function, 133
decision making function
DO Statement, 40 Abs, 95
WHILE statement, 41 Asc, 95
declaration, object, 60 Atn, 96
deletion, object, 68 Beep, 97
Dim statement, 116 CDate, 97
dimension, 15 CDbl, 98
array declaration, 17 Chr, 101
array subscript declaration, 18 CInt, 106
variable declaration, 15 CLng, 107
Dir function, 117, 119 Const statement, 108
DO Statement, 40 Cos, 109
DO statement, 40 CSng, 111
double precison numbers, 24 CStr, 111
Dynamic Linked Libraries (DLLs), 54 CurDir, 112
dynamic size arrays, 21 CVar, 112
E Date, 113
End Function statement, 120 DateSerial, 114
END statement, 46 DateValue, 114
End Sub statement, 121 Day, 115
EOF function, 122 Dim statement, 116
Erase statement, 123 Dir, 117
EXIT statement, 46 EOF, 122
Exp function, 124 Erase statement, 123
exponential notation, 24 Exp, 124
F FileCopy, 124
file access, 69 FileLen, 125
file I/O functions, 89 Fix, 126
FileCopy function, 124 Format, 127
FileLen function, 125 FreeFile, 133
files, 3 GetAttr, 137
Index 215

Hex, 139 Str, 187

Hour, 140 StrComp, 188
Input #, 142 String, 189
InStr function, 144 Tan, 191
Int, 145 Time, 191
IsDate function, 146 Timer event, 192
IsEmpty, 147 TimeSerial, 193
IsNull, 147 TimeValue, 193
IsNumeric, 148 Trim, 193
Lbound, 150 Ubound, 194
LCase, 150 UCase, 195
Left, 151 Val, 195
Left$, 151 VarType, 196
Len, 152 WeekDay, 200
Loc, 153 Write #, 201
LOF, 154 Year, 202
Log, 155 Function statement, 134
LTrim, 156 functions, 8, 48, 50, 91
Mid, 156 G
Minute, 158 Get statement, 135
Month, 159 GetAttr function, 137
Now, 162 global scope, 5
Oct, 162 GOTO statement, 40
Option Base statement, 166 H
Option Explicit, 168 handling, date, 27
Print #, 168 headers, file, 6
Put #, 171 Hex function, 139
ReDim, 175 hexadecimal numbers, 23
Rem, 176 Hour function, 140
Right, 176 I
Rnd, 178 IF statement, 41
RTrim, 178 initializing variables, 16
Second, 179 Input # function, 142
Seek, 179 InStr function, 144
SendKeys, 182 Int function, 145
Sgn, 184 intrinsic constants, 14
Sin, 185 IsDate function, 146
Space, 185 IsEmpty function, 147
Sqr, 186 IsNull function, 147
216 Index

IsNumeric function, 148 naming, 8

K labels, 7
keywords, 8 notation, exponential, 24
Kill statement, 149 Now function, 162
L numbers, 23
labels, 7, 8 data types, 24
Lbound function, 150 numbers, rounding rules for, 25
LCase function, 150 numeric data types, 24
Left function, 151 numeric precision, 24
Left$ function, 151 O
Len function, 152 object declaration, 60
LenB function, 152 object deletion, 68
lifetime, scope, 4 object models, 63
line continuation character, 7 Oct function, 162
Line Input # statement, 152 octal numbers, 23
Loc function, 153 OLE automation objects, 60, 62
local scope, 4 OLE services, 59
LOF function, 154 OnError statement, 47
Log function, 155 Open statement, 164
logical operators, 36 operator precedence, 36
loops operators, 34
DO Statement, 40 arithmetic, 35
WHILE statement, 41 operators, assignment, 34
lower bound, 18 operators, logical, 36
LTrim function, 156 operators, relational, 36
M Option Base statement, 166
math functions, 90 option base statement, 10
mathematical operators, 35 option compare statement, 9
Microsoft Excel OLE, 68 option explicit, 9
Microsoft Word OLE, 67 Option Explicit statement, 168
Mid function, 156 option explicit statement, 9
Minute function, 158 option statements, 9
MkDir statement, 158 P
models, object, 63 precedence, operator, 36
modular scope, 4 precision, numeric, 24
Month function, 159 Print # function, 168
multi-dimensional arrays, 20 private scope, 4
N procedure functions, 92, 97
Name statement, 160 Call, 97
Index 217

End Function statement, 120 MkDir, 158

End Sub statement, 121 Name, 160
Function, 134 Open, 164
Sub, 190 Option Base, 166
public scope, 4 Option Explicit, 168
Put # function, 171 ReDim, 175
R Rem, 176
ReDim statement, 175 RmDir, 177
relational operators, 36 Time, 191
Rem statement, 176 statements, 5
Right function, 176 END, 46
RmDir statement, 177 EXIT, 46
Rnd function, 178 FOR, 41
RTrim function, 178 GOTO, 40
rules, floating point, 25 IF, 41
rules, rounding, 25 OnError, 47
S option, 9
scope, 4 option explicit, 9
Second function, 179 SELECT CASE, 44
Seek function, 179 STOP, 47
SELECT CASE statement, 44 WITH, 47
SendKeys function, 182 static variable scope, 4
services, OLE, 59 STOP statement, 47
Sgn function, 184 Str function, 187
Sin function, 185 StrCompare function, 188
single precision numbers, 24 string comparison, 38
Space function, 185 string concatenation, 38
Sqr function, 186 String function, 189
statement string functions, 92
Beep, 97 strings, 37
ChDir, 99 structures, control, 39
ChDrive, 100 Sub statement, 190
Close, 107 subroutines, 8, 48
Const, 108 subscripts, 18
Dim, 116 T
Erase, 123 Tan function, 191
Get, 135 Time function, 191
Kill, 149 time functions, 89
Line Input #, 152 Time statement, 191
time values, 33 variable declaration, 15
Timer event, 192 variable initialization, 16
TimeSerial function, 193 variable naming, 8
TimeValue function, 193 variables, 8, 14
to clause within array subscripts, 18 lifetime, 4
trigonometry functions, 90 scope, 4
Trim function, 193 variant data type, 21
U variant variables, 21
Ubound function, 194 VarType function, 196
UCase function, 195 W
underscore character, 7 WeekDay function, 200
upper bound, 18 WHILE statement, 41
V WITH statement, 47
Val function, 195 Write # function, 201
values, date, 32 Y
values, time, 33 Year function, 202

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