What are square brackets used for?

Hot Topic

Preventing Microsoft Agent Saying unwanted text.
isnull function
Catch user mouse click events in window.
Why can't VB add up properly?
Automatic Center screening of the design view
MultiColumn Listbox(add item: Object Text, Object)
How do I execute an SQL Command with an ODBCConnection and MySQL database?
set next statement
Help Trying to Create Project Get Errror 0x8007007B
Subclassing controls

Visual Basic

Urgent!! Playing a memory stream to WMP
How do you compare binary files with VB Express 2005
How to have Project2.Form inherit from Project1.Form
creating a new help system
Can't deploy...
StringTokenizer in VB.NET and highlighting
VB 2005 API Call Problem
disable windows keypreview
Subclassing controls
Import dBase into MSAcces

What are square brackets used for?

Hello all, just curious on this.

What's the difference between something like

Dim strName as String, and
Dim strName as [String]

And where/why would you use [ ] if there is a difference

Thank you in advance.

Answer this question

What are square brackets used for?

  • sth2n

    They are used for reserved words.  Stop is a reserved word.  If you were to do the following:


    Public Sub Stop() 
     _Stopped = True 
    End Sub
     


    You would get a compile error.  Adding brackets around Stop allows you to use it.  In vb.classic this wasn't available.

    Cheers,
    Chid
     



    
                                            
  • Ohadr2
    Ok I understand that, it makes sense but I don't see why you'd use it in this context then:
     
     Dim strName as String
     strName = [String].Empty
     
     I've seen it used like that in the ASP.NET starter kits. Any ideas why it's not this instead:
     
     strName = String.Empty
     
     Thanks for your help Smile
     



    
                                            
  • LFerg
     elf_sander wrote:
    It is to create variable which is already used like stop... 

     
      
       

    public enum playstate
    play
    pause
    [stop]
    next
    end enum

     


    I don't get it, sorry, but I too don't know about this [] thing. And Google is useless.



    
                                            
  • Excelerator
    It is to create variable which is already used like stop... 



    public enum playstate
    play
    pause
    [stop]
    next
    end enum

     
    



    
                                            
  • Carriage1
    There is no difference.  I have found that some of the C# to VB converters will put brackets in where they don't really belong.  I recently converted a project and it changed all references to the Text property of the object to [Text]. Doesn't hurt anything, just a bit of overkill. That might explain the code in the starter kits.
     
     Chid
     



    
                                            
    

  • What are square brackets used for?
    • 








Answer this question