Can a function return a custom TYPE?

[mdijkens]

You can't use User Defined Types as the function return itself, but you can use them as a parameter and pass the value back and forth.   

An example with your code:

Code: (Select All)

' Split a "label:value" string in to two parts, stored as a custom TYPE



TYPE config_item_type

    Label AS STRING

    Value AS STRING

END TYPE



DIM config_item AS config_item_type

line$ = "title: Main Entrance"

junk = Split_Header_Line(line$, config_item)

' Expecting config_item.Label = "title" and config_item.Value = "Main Entrance"

PRINT config_item.Label, config_item.Value



Split_2 line$, config_item

PRINT config_item.Label, config_item.Value



FUNCTION Split_Header_Line (line$, result AS config_item_type)

    i% = INSTR(line$, ":")

    IF i% THEN

        result.Label = LCASE$(LEFT$(line$, i%))

        result.Value = LTRIM$(MID$(line$, i% + 1))

    END IF

END FUNCTION



SUB Split_2 (line$, result AS config_item_type)

    i% = INSTR(line$, ":")

    IF i% THEN

        result.Label = LCASE$(LEFT$(line$, i%))

        result.Value = LTRIM$(MID$(line$, i% + 1))

    END IF

END SUB

As you can see, you can pass those values via parameter; just not as a return through the function itself.  (Which might make it just easier to use a SUB, as I've included above as a demo for you, as well. )

I would use the function and return i%
when returned you might want to know if the config_item was changed