assigning variables via an array

I am trying to assign 4 possible phone numbers into variables so I can control the stacking order selected by the user. The user does not have to use all four numbers (direct, toll free, cell and fax). Only 3 numbers can fit on one line. The numbers will always list in teh same order. For example:

direct | toll free | Cell

Fax

direct

cell | fax

tollfree | cell | fax

etc. etc.

I put in a start to an array, but it is not correct. Can you help me with the array? It needs to assign Phone1, Phone2, Phone3, Phone4 based on the phone fields populated by the user.

var phonestack = "";

var Phone1 = "";

var Phone2 = "";

var Phone3 = "";

var Phone4 = "";

//create an array to apply phones to variable Phone placeholders

var phoneArray = [Rule("RULE_directFormat"), Rule("RULE_tollfreeFormat"), Rule("RULE_cellFormat"), Rule("RULE_faxFormat")];

{

for (i = 0; i < phoneArray.length; i++){

Phone = phoneArray;

}

}

//now assign the variables to the stacking order

if (Field("Phone position") == "1|2|3 and 4")

{

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " ", Phone1);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone2);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone3);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, "<br>", Phone4);

}

if (Field("Phone position") == "1|2 and 3|4")

{

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " ", Phone1);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone2);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, "<br>", Phone3);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone4);

}

if (Field("Phone position") == "1 and 2|3|4")

{

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " ", Phone1);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, "<br>", Phone2);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone3);

phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone4);

}

return phonestack;

If you want to use an array, then you need to declare an actual Array object, not just variables with successive numbers in their names, and you need to either populate the array in an Array literal, or call the Array.push method to add items to the array. Then you need to access the array items with square brackets to indicate the index; i.e. "Phone[1]".

Actually, you're already creating an array named phoneArray. So just change the name of that variable to Phone, and index the array elements, and things should work, like so:

var phonestack = "";

//create an array to apply phones to variable Phone placeholders
var Phone = [Rule("RULE_directFormat"), Rule("RULE_tollfreeFormat"), Rule("RULE_cellFormat"), Rule("RULE_faxFormat")];

//now assign the variables to the stacking order
if (Field("Phone position") == "1|2|3 and 4")
{
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " ", Phone[1]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone[2]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone[3]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, "<br>", Phone[4]);
}

if (Field("Phone position") == "1|2 and 3|4")
{
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " ", Phone[1]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone[2]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, "<br>", Phone[3]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone[4]);
}

if (Field("Phone position") == "1 and 2|3|4")
{
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " ", Phone[1]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, "<br>", Phone[2]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone[3]);
phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, " | ", Phone[4]);
}

return phonestack;

Of course, once you have an array, and you're accessing successive elements, that logic can usually be reduced with a "for" loop. So the rule can be written like so:

//create an array to apply phones to variable Phone placeholders
var Phone = [Rule("RULE_directFormat"), Rule("RULE_tollfreeFormat"), Rule("RULE_cellFormat"), Rule("RULE_faxFormat")];

//now assign the variables to the stacking order
var delims = [];
switch (Field("Phone position"))
{
   case "1|2|3 and 4":
       delims = [" ", " | ", " | ", "<br>"];
       break;

   case  "1|2 and 3|4":
       delims = [" ", " | ", "<br>", " | "];
       break;

   case "1 and 2|3|4":
       delims = [" ", "<br>", " | ", " | "];
       break;

   default:
       throw "Unrecognized Phone position";
}

var phonestack = "";
for (var i = 1; i <= 4; i++)
   phonestack = AppendText(phonestack, delims[i], Phone[i]);

return phonestack;

It could be reduced even further by simply replacing the " and " in the "Phone Position" with "<br>" and the other delimiters with pipes.

The rule does not realize that if a field is "", then the other numbers need to "move up" in the array position.

See the attached example.

Is this possible?

Well, your original question was just about how to use an array in general. How to suppress certain items is a separate issue.

I guess I'm confused about the purpose of the "Phone position" field then. If the field value is "1 and 2|3|4", and "1" is empty, then do 2, 3, and 4 still go on the same line? Or does it become "2<br>3 4" instead?

Also, can you post the AppendText function?

If the field value is "1 and 2|3|4", and "1" is empty, then, yes, it becomes "2<br>3 | 4" instead. or

"Phone[0]<br>Phone[1] | Phone [2] | Phone[3]"

Phone[3] should not appear because it would have no value.

Not "<br>2|3|4"

If they have only 2 phone fields used, it would appear

"Phone[0]<br>Phone[1]" regardless of what fields are used.

It seems that the array does not work in the manner I was trying to do. So, I eliminated it and wrote in the if statements to adjust the <br> position when variables have no value. attached.

This will work for what I need.

Thank you for the lesson on arrays.