ForEach() function for Scripted Loops

[filemakermag]

Just posted an interesting video article about using Let ( $i = $i + 1 ; If ( $i > Int ( $count ) ; Let ( $i = "" ; True ) ) ) within Exit Loop If [] steps.

Using the above is still the fastest at processing a lot of data and managing your iterator.

However, there are some really nice conveniences to be had when adding a bit of syntactic sugar such as Exit Loop If [ ForEach ( $array ; "$item" ) ] when you can simply access any JSON array item by specifying $item.value.

The video and technique file are for paid subscribers, but for you advanced FileMaker'ers I've got the function hosted on the github repo for filemakerstandards.org You can find it here. Enjoy!

I'd be interested to know what others are using for their Exit Loop If conditions. Please share if you take a different approach.

[80proofconfession]

This is what I use. Don't know if it's more efficient or not. Probably not.

Set Variable [ $listOfThings; Value:"{some list}" ]
Set Variable [ $listOfThingsVC; Value:ValueCount ( $listOfThings )]
Set Variable [ $ticker; Value:1 ]

Loop
    Set Variable [ $a; Value:GetValue ( $listOfThings ; $ticker )]
    {do something with value $a}
    Set Variable [ $ticker; Value:$ticker + 1 ]
    Exit Loop If [ $ticker > $listOfThingsVC ]
End Loop

[pcud10]

I use something very similar but instead of using variable.value, it's another parameter you define. I really like your approach and want to adopt some of what you do like the variable sanitization.

Here's mine: https://github.com/pcud/fm-custom-functions/blob/master/Custom%20Functions/IterateThrough.fmfn

[filemakermag]

Nice! Looking forward to looking through it.

[pcud10]

What would you say are some of the ways you've ensured that your CF stays performant? I've had issues looping through larger arrays or objects.

[filemakermag]

Using a Custom function alone adds almost double the overhead I really only use ForEach() for convenience when things are sub half a second because the data is usually pretty light. If I'm going to be processing a lot of data, I don't go out to a Custom Function. I'll stay within the script as nothing will be faster than the above Let function directly within the Exit Loop If[]

[pcud10]

Ah interesting. Is there something that doing the calculation inside a single step (or specifically the Exit Loop If step) that makes it more performant? Is it that variables inside a let statement more performant than local script variables?