| Date tip published: | 11/03/2003 |
| Description: | Notes Domino 6 has a new LotusScript function to remove duplicate entries from an array. This function, ArrayUnique, will return a new array with any duplicate values stripped out. An optional parameter can define if the search for duplicates is case sensitive or case insensitive. Another nice array feature (and this one was in R5) is FullTrim. This function takes an array as input and returns an array that has no empty members. Read this tip for more information on these two array functions! |
To learn more about To learn more about using LotusScript in Notes Domino 6 use the following links:
Notes Domino 6 Application Development Update
Notes Domino 6 LotusScript Package
 ArrayUnique Function
ArrayUnique will take an array as input and return a new array with all duplicate entries removed.
The syntax of ArrayUnique is:
ArrayUnique(sourceArray [,compMethod ])
The first parameter is the input array. This can be an array of any type but it has to be one dimensional. It also can not be:
- a list
- an array that is not initialized
- an array of classes
- an array of NotesDocuments
- an array containing arrays as the elements
- an array that contains nothing as an element
The second parameter is an integer value of either 0,1,4 or 5. This value determines how the values in the array are compared. The default is zero, which means that the compare will be case and pitch sensitive.
| Number | Comparison Mode |
| 0 | case sensitive, pitch sensitive |
| 1 | case insensitive, pitch sensitive |
| 4 | case sensitive, pitch insensitive |
| 5 | case insensitive, pitch insensitive |
This function returns a new array. You can not assign returned value to the same variable holding the sourceArray. Create a variant to hold the returned array since you will not know the actual size.
If Array1 contains:
Then ArrayUnique will return the following:
| Function | Returned value |
| ArrayUnique(Array1) | Red | red | Green | Blue | green |
| Function | Returned value |
| ArrayUnique(Array1,1) | Red | Green | Blue |
Below is a simple use of the ArrayUnique function.
| 'Create the source array |
| Dim array1(0 To 4) As String |
| array1(0) = "Red" |
| array1(1) = "red" |
| array1(2) = "Green" |
| array1(3) = "Blue" |
| array1(4) = "green" |
| 'Declare a variant to hold the returned value |
| Dim array2 As Variant |
| 'Trim the duplicate entries, case insensitive used here |
| array2 = Arrayunique(array1,1) |
| 'Display the new array |
| Forall a In array2 |
| msg = msg + a + Chr(13) |
| End Forall |
| Msgbox msg |
 FullTrim Function
The FullTrim function can take an array and remove any empty entries. It will also work on a string. If you pass in a string it will remove any leading and trailing spaces as well as any duplicate spaces. When used with a string it works just like the @Trim function.
The syntax of ArrayUnique is:
FullTrim(sourceArray) or FullTrim(sourceString)
This function returns variant containing the new array or string depending on what was passed in as input. You can not assign returned value to the same variable holding the sourceArray. Create a variant to hold the returned array since you will not know the actual size.
If array1 contains:
Then FullTrim will return the following:
| Function | Returned value |
| FullTrim(Array1) | "Red" | "Green" |
Below is a simple use of the FullTrim function.
| 'Create the source array |
| Dim array1(0 To 4) As String |
| array1(0) = "Red" |
| array1(1) = "" |
| array1(2) = "Green" |
| 'Declare a variant to hold the returned value |
| Dim array2 As Variant |
| 'Use fulltrim to remove the empty entry |
| array2 = FullTrim(array1) |
| 'Display the new array |
| Forall a In array2 |
| msg = msg + a + Chr(13) |
| End Forall |
| Msgbox msg |
|