defaultvalue attribute

The [defaultvalue] attribute allows you to specify a default value for a typed optional parameter.

interface interface-name
{
  return-type function-name(
        mandatory-param-list, 
        [[attribute-list,] defaultvalue(value)] param-type param-name
        [ , optional-param-list]);
}

Parameters

interface-name

Specifies the name of the interface.

return-type

Specifies the return type of the function.

function-name

Specifies the name of the function to which the [defaultvalue] attribute will be applied.

mandatory-param-list

Specifies on or more required parameters.

attribute-list

Specifies a list of one or more attributes, separated by commas, that apply to the parameter.

param-type

Indicates the type of the optional parameter.

param-name

Specifies the name of the optional parameter.

optional-param-list

Specifies zero or more additional parameters, each of which must have a default value.

Remarks

The default value you specify for the parameter can be any constant, or an expression that resolves to a constant, that can be represented by a VARIANT. Specifically, you cannot apply the [defaultvalue] attribute to a parameter that is a structure, an array, or a SAFEARRAY type.

The MIDL compiler accepts the following parameter ordering (from left-to-right):

1. Required parameters (parameters that do not have the [defaultvalue] or [optional] attributes),
2. optional parameters with or without the [defaultvalue] attribute,
3. parameters with the [optional] attribute and without the [defaultvalue] attribute,
4. [lcid] parameter, if any,
5. [retval] parameter

Examples

interface IFace : IUnknown
{
    HRESULT Ex1([defaultvalue(44)] LONG i);
    HRESULT Ex2([defaultvalue(44)] SHORT i);
...
};

interface QueryDef : IUnknown
{
    HRESULT OpenRecordset( [in, defaultvalue(DBOPENTABLE)]
    LONG Type,
    [out,retval] Recordset **pprst);
}
//  Type is now known to be a LONG type (good for browser in VBA and
//  good for a C/C++ programmer) and has a default value of
//  DBOPENTABLE

See also

dispinterface

Generating a Type Library With MIDL

interface

lcid

optional

ODL File Example

ODL File Syntax

retval

TYPEFLAGS