{{DISPLAYTITLE:_MEMELEMENT}}
The '''_MEMELEMENT''' function returns a [[_MEM]] block referring to a variable's memory ,but not past it.


{{PageSyntax}}
::: memory_block = '''_MEMELEMENT('''''reference_variable'')'''


* The ''reference variable'' parameter designates the existing variable name using the memory block.
* _MEMELEMENT is the same as [[_MEM]] but in an array it returns the specifications of an element, not the entire array.
* All values created by memory functions MUST be freed using [[_MEMFREE]] with a valid [[_MEM]] variable type.
* The _MEMELEMENT type contains the following '''read only''' DOT elements where ''name'' is the variable name:
:: ''name'''''.OFFSET''' is the beginning offset of the memory block AS [[_OFFSET]]
:: ''name'''''.SIZE''' returns the largest available region of memory of the ELEMENT in bytes AS [[_OFFSET]]
:: ''name'''''.TYPE''' is the type (represented as bits combined to form a value) AS [[LONG]]:

'''WARNING: THE .TYPE VALUE HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND IN THE NEXT QB64 RELEASE WILL BE:'''
:::* 0 = UDT ([[TYPE|user defined type]]) or memory created by [[_MEMNEW]]
:::* 1 = 1 bit   ELEMENT.SIZE=1   *Only used along with specific types (currently integers or floats)
:::* 2 = 2 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=2   *
:::* 4 = 4 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=4   *
:::* 8 = 8 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=8   *
:::* 16 = 16 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=16  *
:::* 32 = 32 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=32  *
:::* 64 = 64 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=64  *
:::* 128 = 128 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=128 *
:::* 256 = 256 bit. ELEMENT.SIZE=256 *
:::* 512(+ bit*) = integer types only(ie. whole numbers)
:::* 1024(+ bit*) = floating point types only(ie. numbers that can have a decimal point)
:::* 2048 = [[STRING]] type only
:::* 4096(+ 512 + bit*) = [[_UNSIGNED]] integer type only
:::* 8192 = [[_MEM]] type only
:::* 16384(+ 512 + bit*)= [[_OFFSET]] type only
''Note: If a future integer, float or other type doesn't have a size that is 1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128 or 256 it won't have a size-bit set.''

'''THE CURRENT VERSION .954 ONLY METHOD WHICH WILL BE CHANGED IS AS FOLLOWS:'''
:::* 1 = Integer types such as [[_BYTE]], [[INTEGER]], [[LONG]], [[_INTEGER64]] or [[_OFFSET]]
:::* 2 = [[_UNSIGNED]] variable types. Value must be added to the variable type value.(2 cannot be used by itself)
:::* 3 = ALL [[_UNSIGNED]] [[INTEGER]] type values.(add 1 + 2)
:::* 4 = Floating point types such as [[SINGLE]], [[DOUBLE]] or [[_FLOAT]]
:::* 8 = [[STRING]] 
:::* 0 = unknown(eg. created with [[_MEMNEW]]) or [[TYPE|user-defined-types]]
'''THIS CHANGE WILL NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE _MEM SYSTEM.'''

:: ''name'''''.ELEMENTSIZE''' is the [[_BYTE]] size of the elements within the block AS [[_OFFSET]]

:::* 2 = [[INTEGER]] values have an element size of 2 bytes
:::* 4 = [[LONG]] integer and [[SINGLE]] float values have an element size of 4 bytes
:::* 8 = [[DOUBLE]] float and [[_INTEGER64]] values have an element size of 8 bytes
:::* 32 = [[_FLOAT]] values have an element size of 32 bytes
:::* [[LEN]] = [[STRING]] or [[_OFFSET]] byte sizes vary so use [[LEN]](variable) for the number of bytes.
&lt;center&gt;'''Note: [[_MEM]] and [[_OFFSET]] values cannot be cast to other variable types!'''&lt;/center&gt;


''Example:'' Comparing the specifications returned by [[_MEM]] and _MEMELEMENT from an array.
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
{{Cl|DIM}} a(1 {{Cl|TO}} 100) {{Cl|AS}} {{Cl|_UNSIGNED}} {{Cl|_BYTE}}

{{Cl|DIM}} m1 {{Cl|AS}} {{Cl|_MEM}}
{{Cl|DIM}} m2 {{Cl|AS}} {{Cl|_MEM}}

m1 = {{Cl|_MEM (function)|_MEM}}(a(50)) 'function returns information about array up to specific element
{{Cl|PRINT}} m1.OFFSET, m1.SIZE, m1.TYPE, m1.ELEMENTSIZE

m2 = {{Cl|_MEMELEMENT}}(a(50)) 'function returns information about the specific element
{{Cl|PRINT}} m2.OFFSET, m2.SIZE, m2.TYPE, m2.ELEMENTSIZE

{{Cl|END}} '' ''
{{CodeEnd}}
: Output using VERSION .954 ONLY .TYPE values: 1 (integer) + 2 (unsigned)
{{OutputStart}}28377205        51        3        1
28377205        1         3        1 {{OutputEnd}}
: ''Explanation:'' [[_MEM]] returns the info about the array to that element while _MEMELEMENT returns info about that element only.
::* [[_MEM]] value returns the available array .SIZE as 51 bytes from the designated array element.
::* [[_MEMELEMENT]] value returns the available element .SIZE as one byte.


''See also:''
* [[_MEM]]
* [[_MEMNEW]]
* [[_MEMGET]], [[_MEMPUT]]
* [[_MEMFREE]]


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