Using STRUCTS organizing variables

[GermanM]

Hello everyone, I would like to know your opinion and advices of my procedure to organize my set of variables. I'm developing a program for a machine with many functions. I divide the machine in 10 different functions, each of them is related with one single process. In order to reduce and organize a lot of different variables, (more of them with same or similar name), I decide to create a single STRUCT for each function. These structs contain the variable that I need for this specific function.

For example, the "MIXER" is an STRUCT with the following variables: Auto, Enable, End, Alarm, TempLow, TempHigh, Running, etc. 

So, for example: When I need to use one of these variables, I just call MIXER_1.Auto, instead of the old way that I use with global variables : Mixer1_Auto, and also I can reuse the STRUCT if I have more than one same functions: MIXER_2.Auto 

My goal is to keep the list of variables as low as I can, but I'm not sure is this is a good idea, o I'm losing other fantastic way to keep the variables well organized.

I know that each function can use Function_In and Function_Out variables, but I think that this way to program is worse because I need to double the number of variables. The ones used inside the function, and then the globals that I need to connect to the function when I call it.

So, I'm doing something logic or I need to change my way of programming?

I hope you understand me... thank you! 

[pascal]

Hi GermanM,

You HAVE to use struct's !

When calling a function, you don't use every variable of that struct as seperate Function_in, but only the struct itself...

when you change something of the data of your "input" struct variable (like in my case here "hgrp 2 PR spots") after quitting the function, the values are changed also

my struct has several ints, bits, reals, text.....

I call the function call scene check with the variable struct hgrp 2... , do something in that function, like setting a bit, changing text or whatever

after calling the function, the bit's are set, text has changed....

 

advantage of using structs -> you can use them in data tables.... easy for debugging, just make a screen of that table and you see all variables of your structs (same structs of course)

 

 

 

[ORSO2001]

3 hours ago, pascal said:

You HAVE to use struct's !

Fully agree....also with what was said later...

[GermanM]

Hi Pascal, thank you for your answer!

I understand your POV my concern is that I don't see the advantage of declare the "Function_In variable" when I program a function. I just use a global custom made Struct for each function with all the variables that I need, so when one of these variables changes I can use it directly in any part of my project.

Well, I think that could be a good idea, some tips from Unitronics with good programming practices managing medium/big projects. How to organize the set of variables, Is good idea use the IO tag name of input directly? These types of things... I suppose that I'm just a newbie!!