Inconsistent type for a wave reference - complex wave and extract statement

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Hello,

I'm working with complex waves. Depending on conditions, I'd like to either simply define complex wave cw or extract it from another complex wave. Here's a simplified example:

function freewavecollision(a)
    variable a
    
    switch (a)
        case 1:
            make/free/c/n=1 wc = { cmplx(1,1) }
            break
        default:
            make/free/c/n=3 longwc = { cmplx(0,0), cmplx(5,5), cmplx (10,10) }
            extract/free longwc, wc, p==1
    endswitch
    
    print wc
end


When I try to compile this code, I get a dialog box with "Inconsistent type for a wave reference". When I dismiss the dialog box, wc in extract/free longwc, wc, p==1 is highlighted. I've tried adding /c/o to the extract statement to no avail. I also tried this with real numbers and wc is assigned successfully.

I've coded in a work-around, but would like to get the logic above to work.

I'm using 32-bit Igor 6.3.5.5 in Windows 8.0.

Thank you!
Henry
I'm not sure whether the following code violates your criteria of "get the logic above to work", but it seems functionally equivalent to your code, and avoids the wave reference problem.
function freewavecollision(a)
    variable a
 
    make/o/c/free/n=1 wc
    switch (a)
        case 1:
            wc = { cmplx(1,1) }
            break
        default:
            make/free/c/n=3 longwc = { cmplx(0,0), cmplx(5,5), cmplx (10,10) }
            wc = longwc[1]
    endswitch
 
    print wc
end

•freewavecollision(1)
  '_free_'[0]= {cmplx(1,1)}
•freewavecollision(6)
  '_free_'[0]= {cmplx(5,5)}

November 10, 2014 at 08:09 am - Permalink

Thanks for the suggestion, but the conditional in the extract statement of my actual code is more complex than in the simplified example I presented in my original post. Also, I don't know beforehand how many values the extract will return.

As you suggested, it's possible to work around the compiler error by not using extract and redimensioning the output wave (wc) as necessary. Instead, I used a couple of temporary waves:

function freewavecollision(a)
    variable a
    
    switch (a)
        case 1:
            make/free/c/n=1 wc1 = { cmplx(1,1) }
            wave wc = wc1
            break
        default:
            make/free/c/n=3 longwc = { cmplx(0,0), cmplx(5,5), cmplx (10,10) }
            extract/free longwc, wc2, p==1
            wave wc = wc2
    endswitch
    
    print wc
end



I do believe that the compiler is flagging my original code erroneously. If the equivalent is done with real numbers, it works as expected. If you really want to see something weird, while I was testing the behavior with real numbers, I accidentally mixed real and complex outputs for wave w. The code compiles and behaves as I would expect:

function wavecollision(a)
    variable a
    
    switch (a)
        case 1:
            make/free/n=1 w = { 1 }
            break
        default:
            make/free/c/n=3 longw = { cmplx(0,0), cmplx(5,5), cmplx (10,10) }
            extract/free longw, w, p==1
    endswitch
    
    print w
end


The results:
•wavecollision(1)
  '_free_'[0]= {1}
•wavecollision(2)
  '_free_'[0]= {cmplx(5,5)}


Thanks again for your suggestion. I do appreciate the helpful spirit of this community!

November 20, 2014 at 08:57 pm - Permalink

Seems like the compiler is somehow colliding with the first make command of the same name and only when using the /c flag. In the following (meaningless) example, the compiler stops complaining when the /c flag is removed from b (or make and extract don't use the same name):
function test()
    make/c a
    make/c b
    extract a, b, 1
end

November 21, 2014 at 12:45 am - Permalink

Extract also has problems respecting existing waves.

At least I would have guessed that
Function test()
    Make/O/D a
    Make/O/N=0 b
 
    Extract a, b, 1
    print wavetype(b)
End

complains that b already exists. Or why is there a /O flag if it always overwrites?

November 21, 2014 at 04:31 am - Permalink

You had even me (the author of the code) going.

As it happens (but incorrectly documented) the overwrite pertains to the destination overwriting the source (i.e., Extract a,a,1). I'll create a ticket to have the docs changed.



Larry Hutchinson
WaveMetrics
support@WaveMetrics.com

November 21, 2014 at 10:21 am - Permalink

thomas_braun wrote:
Thanks Larry for the clarification.
The OPs question still remains unsolved for me though.


When working with complex waves it is useful to remember that MatrixOP provides additional flexibility in that it is not fussy about complex vs real waves. In this case I'd replace the OP line:
extract/free longwc, wc, p==1

with:
MatrixOP/FREE wc=row(longwc,1)^t


A.G.
WaveMetrics, Inc.

November 24, 2014 at 05:36 pm - Permalink

thomas_braun wrote:
Thanks Larry for the clarification.
The OPs question still remains unsolved for me though.


Looking back at the Extract code, I see that there is no support for a complex destination wave reference variable.
I'll look into fixing that.

At present you would have to cheat a bit. Nasty but this works:
function freewavecollision(a)
    variable a
 
    switch (a)
        case 1:
            make/free/c/n=1 wc = { cmplx(1,1) }
            break
        default:
            make/free/c/n=3 longwc = { cmplx(0,0), cmplx(5,5), cmplx (10,10) }
            WAVE longwcreal= longwc
            extract/free longwcreal, wcr, p==1
            Redimension/C/E=1 wcr
            WAVE/C wc= wcr
    endswitch
 
    print wc
end




Larry Hutchinson
WaveMetrics
support@WaveMetrics.com

November 25, 2014 at 02:48 pm - Permalink