Subj : Re: only posting is rules To : Jasen Betts From : Scott Adams Date : Fri Jan 23 2004 07:54 am -=> Quoting Jasen Betts to Tony Master <=- JB> @MSGID: 3:640/1042 314aecfc JB> Hi Tony. JB> 13-Jan-04 00:25:42, Tony Master wrote to Scott Adams TM> Quoting message from Scott Adams to Tony Master SA>> What level of knowledge do you know about them now? I ask so not SA>> to go WAY basic on you :) TM> i know they point to a spot in memory JB> The trick is getting them to point to a convenient spot. JB> there's a number of ways to do that JB> NIL is a special pointer constant that is used wehn you want a JB> pointer to point nowhere JB> @ can be used to point one at an existing variable JB> new can be used to create an anonymous variable and point a pointer JB> at it JB> dispose is the opposite of new and deestroys an anonymous variable if JB> you have a pointer to it JB> Where it gets interesting is when you make a record that contains a JB> pointer to a record of the same type.... then you can create a chain JB> of records, of any length and add or remove records at either end or in JB> the middle of the chain, this is called a linked list. JB> if you add more pointers to the record you can have a branching chain JB> etc... Yep. All precursors to the search engines used in most efficient search systems. B-Trees and all that. Sorts. Luckilly not had to do a Linked list thing since college :) Simple today but back then it was like magic :) .... "Besides, I don't think we have the room." - Sheridan --- Fringe BBS * Origin: EWOG II - The Fringe - 904-733-1721 (1:112/91) .