Complex Variable Declaration — Using Variables to Their Fullest

Variables are the backbone of any program. As you can guess, any program of significant size and functionality will use variables. Thus far, we have used variables extensively. However, in terms of the raw power of variables, what we have explored so far has hardly scratched the surface. For systems such as CODESYS, variables are a very rich concept, and unlike traditional languages such as C++ or Java, there are many tools available to help you easily implement variables.

If you’ve ever programmed in a traditional programming language, such as C++, C#, Java, or the like, you’ll notice many similarities between those languages and the concepts in this chapter. Though we have used variables till now, we have not taken full advantage of all the attributes that are offered by variables. As we transition into object-oriented programming in the coming chapters, it is important to understand how to organize...