I was trying out the new Chinese AI: DeepSeek. I asked it for Xojo code to reverse the order of an array of Points. I had done this earlier using ChatGPT, and I wanted to compare the answers.
In this particular instances, both answers were pretty good. DeepSeek was a little more expansive in its answer. But then it suggested that I could use the Reverse method for arrays if I was using Xojo 2023 Release 1 and later. When I looked at the documentation, I could find no reference for such a method.
I then asked it to provide me a list of the methods in Xojo for working with arrays. It answered.
Certainly! In Xojo, arrays have a variety of methods that allow you to manipulate and work with their contents. Below is a list of commonly used methods for arrays in Xojo, along with a brief description of each.
Array Methods in Xojo
1. Add/Append Elements
Append(value)
- Adds an element to the end of the array.
- Example:
myArray.Append(10)
Insert(index, value)
- Inserts an element at the specified index.
- Example:
myArray.Insert(2, "Hello")
2. Remove Elements
Remove(index)
- Removes the element at the specified index.
- Example:
myArray.Remove(3)
RemoveAt(index)
- Same as
Remove. Removes the element at the specified index.- Example:
myArray.RemoveAt(3)
Clear
- Removes all elements from the array.
- Example:
myArray.Clear
3. Access Elements
LastIndex(Property)
- Returns the index of the last element in the array.
- Example:
Dim lastIdx As Integer = myArray.LastIndex
IndexOf(value)
- Returns the index of the first occurrence of the specified value, or
-1if not found.- Example:
Dim idx As Integer = myArray.IndexOf("Hello")
Value(index)
- Returns the value at the specified index.
- Example:
Dim val As String = myArray.Value(2)
4. Sorting and Reversing
Sort
- Sorts the array in ascending order.
- Example:
myArray.Sort
Sort(comparer As Function)
- Sorts the array using a custom comparison function.
- Example:
myArray.Sort(AddressOf MyComparerFunction)
Reverse
- Reverses the order of elements in the array (available in Xojo 2023 and later).
- Example:
myArray.Reverse
5. Searching
HasValue(value)
- Returns
Trueif the array contains the specified value.- Example:
If myArray.HasValue("Hello") Then
Find(value)
- Returns the index of the first occurrence of the specified value, or
-1if not found.- Example:
Dim idx As Integer = myArray.Find("Hello")
6. Resizing
ResizeTo(newSize As Integer)
- Resizes the array to the specified number of elements.
- Example:
myArray.ResizeTo(10)
7. Copying
Clone
- Returns a new array that is a copy of the original array.
- Example:
Dim newArray() As String = myArray.Clone
8. Miscellaneous
Join(separator As String)
- Joins all elements of the array into a single string, separated by the specified delimiter.
- Example:
Dim result As String = myArray.Join(", ")
Pop
- Removes and returns the last element of the array.
- Example:
Dim lastElement As String = myArray.Pop
Shift
- Removes and returns the first element of the array.
- Example:
Dim firstElement As String = myArray.Shift
Push(value)
- Adds an element to the end of the array (same as
Append).- Example:
myArray.Push("New Item")
Example Usage of Array Methods:
Dim myArray() As String myArray.Append("Apple") myArray.Append("Banana") myArray.Append("Cherry") // Sort the array myArray.Sort // Reverse the array myArray.Reverse // Check if the array contains "Banana" If myArray.HasValue("Banana") Then System.DebugLog("Banana is in the array!") End If // Join the array into a string Dim result As String = myArray.Join(", ") System.DebugLog("Joined array: " + result)
Notes:
- The availability of some methods (e.g.,
Reverse) depends on the version of Xojo you are using. For example,Reverseis available in Xojo 2023 Release 1 and later.- Arrays in Xojo are zero-based, meaning the first element is at index
0.
This list covers the most commonly used array methods in Xojo. For more details, you can always refer to the Xojo Documentation by pressing
F1in the Xojo IDE or visiting the Xojo Documentation website.
Wow! That was cool. But many of these methods do not exist in Xojo. (It is sort of like a wish list) I am not sure what is happening here. Perhaps it is cross-pollinating with methods from some other language.
I then asked ChatGPT: Is there a Reverse method for arrays in Xojo?
Yes, starting from Xojo 2021 Release 3, there is a built-in Reverse method for arrays, which allows you to reverse the order of elements in an array directly.
Here’s how you can use the Reverse method:
Example
// Create an array of Points Var points() As Point points.Add(New Point(1, 1)) points.Add(New Point(2, 2)) points.Add(New Point(3, 3)) // Reverse the array in place points.Reverse // Output the reversed array For Each point As Point In points System.DebugLog("Point: (" + point.X.ToString + ", " + point.Y.ToString + ")") NextExplanation
• The Reverse method directly reverses the order of elements in the array. It modifies the original array and does not create a new one.
• It’s a simple and efficient way to reverse arrays without writing additional code.
Output for the Example:
Point: (3, 3) Point: (2, 2) Point: (1, 1)Notes:
• The Reverse method is available for all array types (e.g., integers, strings, custom objects like Point).
• If you are using a version of Xojo older than 2021r3, you’ll need to use a manual algorithm, as shown earlier.
Let me know if you need help with anything else!
Amazing how confidently wrong and specific these answers are. Both insist that there is a Reverse method in Xojo. They disagree as to when it entered the language. DeepSeek says 2023r3 and ChatGPT says 2021r3
or ;), it depends of your POV.