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GNU Info (gawk.info)Multi-scanningScanning Multidimensional Arrays ================================ There is no special `for' statement for scanning a "multidimensional" array. There cannot be one, because in truth there are no multidimensional arrays or elements--there is only a multidimensional _way of accessing_ an array. However, if your program has an array that is always accessed as multidimensional, you can get the effect of scanning it by combining the scanning `for' statement (*note Scanning All Elements of an Array: Scanning an Array.) with the built-in `split' function (Note: String Manipulation Functions.). It works in the following manner: for (combined in array) { split(combined, separate, SUBSEP) ... } This sets the variable `combined' to each concatenated combined index in the array, and splits it into the individual indices by breaking it apart where the value of `SUBSEP' appears. The individual indices then become the elements of the array `separate'. Thus, if a value is previously stored in `array[1, "foo"]'; then an element with index `"1\034foo"' exists in `array'. (Recall that the default value of `SUBSEP' is the character with code 034.) Sooner or later, the `for' statement finds that index and does an iteration with the variable `combined' set to `"1\034foo"'. Then the `split' function is called as follows: split("1\034foo", separate, "\034") The result is to set `separate[1]' to `"1"' and `separate[2]' to `"foo"'. Presto! The original sequence of separate indices is recovered. automatically generated by info2www version 1.2.2.9 |