FIND_TIMER and ID_NULL functionality 1

[jjonesal]

I'm having difficulty fully understanding these two functions. I know that FIND_TIMER accepts a timer name and returns a TIMER type. I also know that ID_NULL is overloaded and can accept different types of input parameters (one being timer) and returns a Boolean (T/F) indicating whether the object exists.

Here's my dilemma: I was wondering what FIND_TIMER returns if you pass it the name of a non-existent timer? And, what does ID_NULL return if you pass it a NULL value.

I want to use IF ID_NULL(FIND_TIMER('xxx')) but I want to be sure that if 'xxx' doesn't exist, I will get the intended result. I tried doing some testing to see but FIND_TIMER returns a TIMER type and I don't know how to inspect its contents.

Hope all this makes sense....

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give...


JJ


J. Jones
jjones@cybrtyme.com

 

[lewisp]

ID_NULL(FIND_TIMER('XXX')) will return TRUE if timer XXX does not exist.

If you declare a TIMER variable, then assign it with FIND_TIMER, you can only 'inspect' its contents by checking with ID_NULL.

IDs are generally complex data types and cannot be inspected as such.

 

[jjonesal]

Does ID_NULL(FIND_TIMER('XXX')) return FALSE if XXX DOES exist???? J. Jones
jjones@cybrtyme.com

 

[lewisp]

Yes.