OPTION BASE Statement
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 Action

 Declares the default lower bound for array subscripts.


 Syntax



  OPTION  BASE  n%

 Remarks


 The  OPTION  BASE statement is never required.

 The value of  n% must be either 0 or 1. The default base is 0. If the
 following statement is executed, the default lowest value of an array
 subscript is 1.

 OPTION BASE 1


 Note


 The  TO clause in the  DIM statement provides an easier, more flexible way
 to control the range of an array's subscripts. If the lower bound of an
 array subscript is not explicitly set, then  OPTION  BASE can be used to
 change the default lower bound to 1.

 The  OPTION  BASE statement can be used only once in a module (source file)
 and can appear only in the module-level code. An  OPTION  BASE statement
 must be used before you can declare the dimensions for any arrays.

 Chained programs can have an  OPTION  BASE statement if no arrays are passed
 between them in a  COMMON block, or if the specified base is identical in
 the chained programs. The chained-to program inherits the  OPTION  BASE
 value of the chaining program if  OPTION  BASE is omitted in the latter.


 See Also

  DIM,  LBOUND,  UBOUND


 Example

 The following example shows the use of  OPTION  BASE to override the default
 base array subscript value of 0. Subscripts in array A range from 1 to 20
 rather than 0 to 19.

 OPTION BASE 1


 DIM A(20)


 PRINT "The base subscript in array A is"; LBOUND(A)


 PRINT "The upper bound subscript in array A is"; UBOUND(A)




 Output



 The base subscript in array A is 1


 The upper bound subscript in array A is 20