# Active list

An active list is a list of strings for use in a subsequent
process that handles items one at a time. Typically, a list contains
item-IDs for subsequent processing, but a list can actually contain
anything. For example, the statement, select entity creates a list
of item-IDs, while the statement, select entity name creates a list
from the contents of each entity item’s name attribute.

A list can be created by any of the list-generating commands,
such as get-list, select, `sselect`, and so on, or by a FlashBASIC program.

The end command can be used to deactivate an active list.

Once a list is active, the next command issued at TCL must be
a valid list-processing command, otherwise the list is deactivated.
For example:

The active list has been released.

```
:sselect entity by name
[404] 2718281 items selected out of 2718281 items.

>time
06:44:22 19 Jan 2002 Saturday
```
When this process returns to the TCL prompt, a list is
active. The list can be used by any subsequent process that processes
items.

```
:sselect entity by name
[404] 18281 items selected out of 18281 items.

>
```
This example creates an active list, which is immediately
saved. Once a list is saved, it can be used repeatedly, until it is
manually deleted.

```
:sselect entity by name
[404] 18281 items selected out of 18281 items.

>save-list entity.by.name
List ’entity.by.name’ in file ’pointer-file’ saved.
```
A list can also be generated from an active list.

```
:sselect entity by name
[404] 18281 items selected out of 18281 items.

>save-list entity.by.name
List ’entity.by.name’ in file ’pointer-file’ saved.

:get-list entity.by.name
[404] 18281 items selected out of 1 items.

>select entity with city "newport beach"
[404] 287 items selected out of 2718281 items.
```

## See also

- [.readnext command (Runoff)](https://d3codex.com/runoff/dot-readnext-command-runoff/)
- [.readnext null command](https://d3codex.com/output-processor/dot-readnext-null-command/)
- [compare-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/compare-list-command/)
- [copy-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/copy-list-command/)
- [Data representation](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/data-representation/)
- [delete-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/delete-list-command/)
- [edit-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/edit-list-command/)
- [end command (TCL commands)](https://d3codex.com/tcl/end-command-tcl-commands/)
- [execute statement (UNIX)](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/execute-statement-unix/)
- [fdk command](https://d3codex.com/editor/fdk-command/)
- [fi command](https://d3codex.com/editor/fi-command/)
- [fl command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/fl-command/)
- [get-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/get-list-command/)
- [indexer command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/indexer-command/)
- [iselect command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/iselect-command/)
- [loop statement](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/loop-statement/)
- [nselect command](https://d3codex.com/access/nselect-command/)
- [Primary list](https://d3codex.com/definitions/primary-list/)
- [readnext statement](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/readnext-statement/)
- [rmbi command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/rmbi-command/)
- [run-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/run-list-command/)
- [save command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/save-command/)
- [save-list command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/save-list-command/)
- [Secondary list](https://d3codex.com/definitions/secondary-list/)
- [nselect command](https://d3codex.com/access/nselect-command/)
- [clearselect statement](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/clearselect-statement/)
- [sreformat command](https://d3codex.com/access/sreformat-command/)
- [sselect command](https://d3codex.com/access/sselect-command/)
- [system() function](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/system-function/)
- [tcl statement](https://d3codex.com/pickbasic-flashbasic/tcl-statement/)
- [u1195 user exit](https://d3codex.com/proc/u1195-user-exit/)
- [verify-system command](https://d3codex.com/tcl/verify-system-command/)

---
Source: https://d3codex.com/definitions/active-list/ - part of the D3Codex reference.