What is LenB actually doing on none string parameters

Question

I have this bit of code that is being converted from vb6 to vb.net. I need to know what LenB is doing in this bit of code.

Dim singleValue As Single 'var for conversion use(4byte -> 1single)'
Dim bytes() As Byte
Dim valueB() As Byte 'this gets set elsewhere and is redim-d to its size'

For n = 0 To CDbl(ItemNumberCombo.Text) - 1
 'bytes() -> single'
 'UPGRADE_ISSUE: LenB function is not supported.'
 ReDim bytes(LenB(singleValue) - 1)
 bytes(3) = valueB(n * 4)
 bytes(2) = valueB(n * 4 + 1)
 bytes(1) = valueB(n * 4 + 2)
 bytes(0) = valueB(n * 4 + 3)
 'UPGRADE_ISSUE: LenB function is not supported.'
 'UPGRADE_ISSUE: VarPtr function is not supported. '
 Call memcpy(VarPtr(singleValue), VarPtr(bytes(0)), LenB(singleValue))
 'display the result'
 DText(n).Text = VB6.Format(singleValue, "0.000000E+00") 'CStr(singleValue)'
 If DataSaveCheckBox.CheckState = 1 And FileNameText.Text <> "" Then
  csvOutput = csvOutput & DText(n).Text & ","
 End If
Next n

Am I right in thinking that bytes is always ReDim'ed to the same size? By the looks of it 4 elements.

Why then use LenB to ReDim if you could just use a number? And why ReDim in the loop at all?

Answer 1

Trying to explain bad code... is just an effort in futility. Interesting way to fill a Single by loading a byte array.

The LenB function gives you the length in bytes of a variable. Yes it will always return 4 when passed a Single variable type.

My guess for the redim is so the array gets initialized instead of preserved. But since it then assigns all 4 bytes, it isn't technically needed and is probably just defensive programming. Defensive programming might also explain the LenB. In case Single changes size in the future.