01  function unpack( variable )
02    dim char, index, length
03    dim type_: type_ = left( variable, 1 )
04    select case type_
05      case "a"
06        char = instr( variable, VAR_DELIMITER )
07        length = eval( mid( variable, 2, char - 2 ) )
08        variable = mid( variable, char + 1 )
09        dim result: result = array_allocate( length )
10        for index = 0 to length - 1
11          result( index ) = unpack( variable )
12        next
13        unpack = result
14      case "i"
15        char = instr( variable, VAR_DELIMITER )
16        unpack = cint( eval( mid( variable, 2, char - 2 ) ) )
17        variable = mid( variable, char + 1 )
18      case "f"
19        char = instr( variable, VAR_DELIMITER )
20        unpack = cdbl( eval( mid( variable, 2, char - 2 ) ) )
21        variable = mid( variable, char + 1 )
22      case "s"
23        char = instr( variable, VAR_DELIMITER )
24        length = eval( mid( variable, 2, char - 2 ) )
25        unpack = mid( variable, char + 1, length )
26        variable = mid( variable, char + length + 1 )
27      case "b"
28        unpack = ( eval( mid( variable, 2, 1 ) ) = 1 )
29        variable = mid( variable, 3 )
30    end select
31  end function