ALIAS: Dynamically redefine arrays and strings with varying lengths (H)

• To facilitate array and string operations: rename (

  share storage

  ) all or part of a numerical or string workspace at run-time
• The ALIAS-names below (scalar, ..., subvec, ..., substring, ...) must not be referenced prior to the ALIAS statement
• related subjects: DIMENSION, REAL, CHARACTER, EDIT

1. collect scalars to a vector

   :
   • vec = ALIAS(scalar1, scalar2, .., scalarN)
   vec is now defined as a vector of length N:
   • vec(1) == scalar1
   • vec(2) == scalar2
   • ...
   • vec(n) == scalarN

2. dynamically rename or redefine array segments

   :
   • DIMENSION array(1E6)
   • ALIAS(array, idx, subvec1,dim1, subvec2, dim2, ...)
   • subvec1 is now defined as a vector of length dim1. It shares storage with array(idx : idx+dim1-1)
   • subvec2 is now defined as a vector of length dim2, etc.
   • in other words this equivalences
     • array(idx) with subvec1(1)
     • array(idx+1) with subvec1(2)
     • ...
     • array(idx+dim1) with subvec2(1), etc.

3. rename or redefine string segments dynamically

   :
   • CHARACTER string*123456
   • ALIAS(string, idx, substring1,len1, substring2, len2, ...)
   • substring1 is now another name for string(idx : idx + len1 -1)
   • substring2 is synonymous to string(idx + len1 : idx + len1 + len2 - 1)