Maximum (NamedArraylist function)

Name of item with maximum value or maximum value of function applied to items (NamedArraylist class)

Maximum returns the name of that item of the NamedArraylist item with the maximum numeric value as returned by a specified function. The function applied to each NamedArraylist item, which you specify with the required itemFunction argument, must be a method that operates on the item type and returns a User Language intrinsic datatype (Float, String, or Unicode) value.

Syntax

%string = nal:Maximum[( [itemFunction])]

Syntax terms

%string	A string variable to contain the name of the item in the indicated NamedArraylist that has the maximum value as returned by the argument function.
nal	A NamedArraylist object.
itemFunction	A method value (a method name literal, a method variable, or even a method that returns a method value) of the method that operates on objects of the type specified on the nal declaration and that returns an intrinsic value. As of Sirius Mods Version 7.6, the special identity function, This, is the default itemFunction value for the Maximum and Minimum methods. See "Using the This function as the Maximum parameter".

Usage notes

• If the function applied by Maximum returns string values, Maximum uses the decimal-equivalent value of the character bytes and determines the number of the item that has the greatest value. Lowercase letters are first ranked alphabetically; then uppercase letters, also ranked alphabetically; finally followed by the numbers; that is: 'a'..'z','A'..'Z',0..9.
• If the values returned by itemFunction for two or more NamedArraylist items are equal, maximum, values, Maximum returns the name of that item which is closest to the beginning of the NamedArraylist.
• The parameter for Maximum is a method value, not a User Language expression. That is, you cannot provide a function that itself has an argument (say, ToIntegerPower(2)) as the Maximum parameter. The "Maximum and Minimum with local method" example shows a way to apply ToIntegerPower with Maximum.
• Maximum is available in Sirius Mods Version 7.3 and later.

Examples

1. The following request uses the special method, This, to find the maximum and minimum items in this familiar NamedArraylist. For more information about using This, see "Using the This function as the Maximum parameter".

   begin %nalist is collection NamedArraylist of longstring %nalist = new %nalist:useDefault = true %nalist('Idle') = 'Eric' %nalist('Cleese') = 'John' %nalist('Gilliam') = 'Terry' %nalist('Pallin') = 'Michael' %nalist('Chapman') = 'Graham' printText {~} is item {%nalist:maximum(this)} PrintText {~} is item {%nalist:minimum(this)} end

   The result is:

   %nalist:maximum(this) is item Gilliam %nalist:minimum(this) is item Idle

2. For more examples with Maximum and Minimum for collections, see "Finding collection maxima and minima, and sorting".

See also

• The Minimum function is the opposite of the Maximum function.

Arraylist class FloatNamedArraylist class NamedArraylist class UnicodeNamedArraylist class	List of Arraylist methods List of FloatNamedArraylist methods List of NamedArraylist methods List of UnicodeNamedArraylist methods List of Collection methods	Arraylist methods syntax FloatNamedArraylist methods syntax NamedArraylist methods syntax UnicodeNamedArraylist methods syntax
Notation conventions for methods