TYPE()            Comments on Clipper 5.0 return values.

  Clipper Version  1.29 dtd 04/15/91.

  Problem Statement

  1) TYPE("LocalVar" or "StaticVar") returns 'U'.

  2) Successive uses of TYPE may produce erroneous values; e.g.,

     ? TYPE( "{| a | Foo( a ),     }" )    // Prints "UE", syntax error.

     ? TYPE( "{| a | Foo( a ), .T. }" )    // Error has been corrected, but
                                           // TYPE() still returns "UE".
     ? TYPE( "{| a | Foo( a ), .T. }" )    // This time, TYPE() returns "B".

  Cause

  1) TYPE("xVar") uses macro expansion to evaluate variables.

  2) Unknown.

  Work Around(s)

  1) Use VALTYPE(var)

  2) Use a function; e.g., the following by Michael Vivino 72210,2630

     FUNCTION ChkBlock( cBlock )
       TYPE( "{|| .T. }" )            // reset any prior error by passing
                                      // a valid block to type()
     RETURN TYPE( cBlock ) == [B]     // Now syntax-check the passed block

  Notes

       TYPE("Undeclared_Var")      Returns 'U'
       VALTYPE(Undeclared_Var)     Returns runtime error