AppleScript vs VBScript

[Mark Waddingham]

On 2016-02-03 16:25, Kay C Lan wrote:
> So again this leave me wonder as to the real situation with Windows? 
> Can it
> be like OS X where you simply check LC's 'the result' ? On Windows how 
> do
> you know when you NEED to declare <result> in VBScript and when you 
> don't ?

My AppleScript and VBScript are a little rusty, however if I recall 
correctly...

All statements in AppleScript notionally return a value (just like 
JavaScript). This means that if you execute a snippet of AppleScript, 
there is a well-defined 'result' which can be returned. So all the 
engine does for AppleScript is use the returned value from the 'exec 
code snippet' API that is used to set 'the result' on the LiveCode side.

In contrast, no statements in VBScript return a value - only expressions 
do. This means that when you execute a snippet of VBScript there is no 
return value to be had from the API which is used. To work-around this 
the engine does the following:
   1) execute snippet of VBScript
   2) if the script has declared a global 'result' variable, take the 
value of that and set 'the result' on the LiveCode side
   3) if the script has not declared a global 'result' variable, then set 
'the result' to empty on the LiveCode side

Therefore, in answer to your question, if you want your VBScript code 
snippet to return a value to LiveCode when using 'do ... as ...', you 
have to declare a global variable called 'result' in the snippet and set 
that to the return value you want LiveCode to see (in that snippet).

Hope this helps!

Mark.

-- 
Mark Waddingham ~ mark at livecode.com ~ http://www.livecode.com/
LiveCode: Everyone can create apps