LET – variable assignment

Variable Assignment

This directive is used to assign a value to a string or numeric variable.

Syntax

[LET] variable-name = value

LET

is optional syntax that appears in the program listing.

variable-name

is the name of a specific numeric or string variable.

value

is any valid expression whose value is assigned to the specified variable.

Remarks

Numeric variable-names that are assigned values using a numeric constant retain the full numeric constant value regardless of the current setting of PRECISION. If value is a numeric expression rather than a numeric constant, the numeric variable-name receives a value that is rounded to the current PRECISION.

String variable-names have the same length as value after the LET directive, regardless of what length the string variable-name had before the LET directive was executed.

Multiple assignments can be made if separated by commas.

Starting with release level 8.2 a colon is now allowed to immediately following the ‘=’ to substitute the left side of the ‘=’ for the colon. For example: LET ABC$[2]=:+ “X” becomes: LET ABC$[2]=ABC$[2]+ “X”. This is only a shorthand notation for input. The code still lists the expanded way.

Examples

LET A = 6

assigns the value 6 to the numeric variable.

A = 6

has the same effect as the first example.

LET B$ = "TEMP"

assigns the value “TEMP” to the string variable B$.

B$ = C$

If C$ = “TEMP”, has the same effect as the preceding example.

LET B = 6 + T, G = T / 20

If T=10, assigns 16 to B and .5 to G.

C$ = "A" + B$

If B$ = “Z”, assigns C$ the value “AZ”.

From the Thoroughbred Basic Language Reference, Volume II: F–Q, version 8.9.1. Open this page in the PDF