[12.6] How can I define a table?

-- NB: this is an algorithm, not a legal Lingo statement!

  tableEntry (row, column) -> listItem (column + row * rowWidth)

-- parent script "table object"

property table

on birth me
  set table = []
  return me
end birth

on setValue me, row, column, val
  -- allow for zero indices
  set row = row + 1
  set column = column + 1
  -- check to see if we've already created the appropriate row
  -- and if not, do so
  set thisRow = 0
  if count(table >= row) then put getAt(table, row) into thisRow 
  if not listP(thisRow) then
    set thisRow = []
    setAt table, row, thisRow
  end if
  -- set our new value at the column position setAt thisRow, column, val
end setValue

on getValue me, row, column
  -- allow for zero indices
  set row = row + 1
  set column = column + 1

  -- check to see if the row is defined
  if count(table >= row) then
    put getAt(table, row) into thisRow
      if listP(thisRow) then
         -- check to see it the column is defined -- and if so, return it
          if count(thisRow >= column) then
            return getAt(thisRow, column)
          end if
       end if
  end if

  -- otherwise, return an empty value, which we'll 
  -- default to 0, because that's the default list item value too return 0
end getValue

-- again, you could add other table operations here 
-- note that unlike the stack, this table will only ever get bigger, 
-- never smaller...