MultiCam Boards Documentation > MultiCam Documentation > MultiCam C Reference > Introduction > By-Name vs. By-Ident Access

By-Name vs. By-Ident Access

Two methods are provided to refer to parameters and enumerated parameter values:

The by-ident method uses an identifier defined in the header file McParams.h.

The by-name method employs a character string corresponding to a defined syntax.

Advantages and disadvantages of using by-ident method or by-name method

Referencing items with the by-ident method

Referencing items with the by-name method

Static method

All item identifiers are prepared off line by Euresys and made known to the user application source code by means of a special header file.

Dynamic method

The reference to an item can be dynamically established at runtime. For example, a dialog box can invite the user to type an item name.

Syntax checking

The compiler can check the consistency of the identifier spelling.

No syntax checking

The compiler has no way to control the correctness of a quoted character string.

Faster

The MultiCam driver directly accesses the required parameter when the access function is executed. This can be valuable when a lot of parameters have to be consecutively updated under application control.

Slower

The MultiCam driver has to interpret the string when the parameter access function is executed. This involves a search in a list of names, and consumes time at runtime.