This set entered on 8-3-14
8.2.14.3
- Everything you can put in a calc has a value, unless:
it is a COMMENT.
- What are COMMENTS?
They are chunks of text whose sole purpose is to help guide you through long calculations. They are for the benefit of people who work on the database months or years later.
- Why use COMMENTS?
Once you have a few sets of parenthesis or nested function calls, you may have trouble understanding even your own FileMaker calc when you have to go back and make changes.. So use LOTS of COMMENTS to explain what you intended to do with the calc.
- How do you tell FileMaker to ignore COMMENTS?
It does it automatically, as if they were not there. FileMaker also ignores some extra spaces and paragraph returns that were inserted only for ease of reading.
- How many different types of STYLES can you use for your COMMENTS?
Two. First, any text that comes after TWO CONSECUTIVE SLASH MARKS (//) is CONSIDERED A COMMENT. This kind of comment goes all the way to the end of the line.
- Example of a COMMENT that goes all the way to the end of the line?
//this is a comment
3.14 * Diameter//and so is this.
- A COMMENT is also any text that comes between the symbols:
/* and */. This is useful if you need to type a comment that spans multiple lines.
- The comments that use /* */ are also useful for:
For adding COMMENTS WITHIN A LINE.
Example: 3 /sprocket size/ * 10 /* sprocket count/ * 57 /tooth count*/
- In addition to COMMENTS, you should:
ADD WHITE SPACE to make your calcs easier to read. Calcs don’t have to be strung together in one long line. Press the RETURN or SPACE key to add space anywhere (EXCEPT IN A FIELD NAME, FUNCTION NAME, TEXT CONSTANT, OR NUMBER)
