expl3: loop over a sequence with \int_do_while

Question

I have a sequence where I get the elements by item number (needed for a macro don't show here). I am trying to iterate over the elements of the sequence in a do_while loop but I get an error about the integer comparison. I readed the interface3 document but can't find the problem.

MWE:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\DeclareDocumentCommand{\setlist}{}{
\seq_new:N \g_test_seq
\seq_gset_from_clist:Nn \g_test_seq {lin1, line2, line3} 
}

\DeclareDocumentCommand{\insertdata}{m}{
  \seq_item:Nn \g_test_seq #1
}


\DeclareDocumentCommand{\getitemswhile}{}{
  \int_new:N \l_test_count
  \int_set:Nn \l_test_count {\seq_count:N \g_test_seq}
  \int_set:Nn \l_tmpa_int {1}

  \int_do_while:nn {\l_tmpa_int < \l_test_count}
    {
    \insertdata{\int_use:N \l_tmpa_int}
    \int_incr:N \l_tmpa_int
    }
}

\ExplSyntaxOff


\begin{document}
\setlist
\getitemswhile
\end{document}

The error (running TexLive 2016 updated) reads:

? 
! You can't use `the character <' after \the.
<argument> <

l.34 \getitemswhile

? 
! Missing = inserted for \ifnum.
<to be read again> 
                   \__int_eval:w 
l.34 \getitemswhile

Answer 1

Your problem is that you have

\seq_item:Nn \g_test_seq #1

and you should have

\seq_item:Nn \g_test_seq { #1 }

In any case, you have a weird mixture of user interface and programming layer in those definitions that you might want to address; also, declarations should be outside of commands; and also, you should adhere to the naming conventions (\l_test_int rather than \l_test_count).

\documentclass{scrartcl}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn

\seq_new:N \g_test_seq
\DeclareDocumentCommand \setlist { }
 {
  \seq_gset_from_clist:Nn \g_test_seq { lin1 , line2 , line3 }
 }

\DeclareDocumentCommand \insertdata { m }
 {
  \seq_item:Nn \g_test_seq { #1 }
 }

\int_new:N \l_test_int
\DeclareDocumentCommand \getitemswhile { }
 {
  \int_set:Nn \l_test_int { \seq_count:N \g_test_seq }
  \int_set:Nn \l_tmpa_int { 1 }
  \int_do_while:nn { \l_tmpa_int < \l_test_int }
   {
    \insertdata { \int_use:N \l_tmpa_int }
    \int_incr:N \l_tmpa_int
   }
 }

\ExplSyntaxOff


\begin{document}
\setlist
\getitemswhile
\end{document}

Answer 2

There are several tools in expl3 that can help in doing some task.

Use \seq_item:Nn only if you really need to; for doing something to all items in a sequence there are \seq_map_inline:Nn or \seq_map_function:NN.

Manuel, in his answer, has already pointed out some of the issues in your code; the main one is that declaration of variables should generally be outside definition of macros/functions.

_{It's of course possible to declare variables in a function, but do it only when such variables should be defined at runtime, with a name depending on current conditions.}

Also you should not use \DeclareDocumentCommand, in general: this would overwrite any preceding definition of the same macro.

Here's a version with \seq_map_inline:Nn

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\setlist}{m}
 {
  \seq_gset_from_clist:Nn \g_textnik_test_seq { #1 }
 }

\NewDocumentCommand{\getitems}{}
 {
  \seq_map_inline:Nn \g_textnik_test_seq
   {
    ##1\par
   }
 }
\seq_new:N \g_textnik_test_seq
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\setlist{line1, line2, line3}

\getitems

\end{document}

You can see that the current item is passed to the mapping part as #1 (here ##1, because we're in a definition). You can do whatever you want to it, even passing it as the argument to another macro.

The same with \seq_map_function:NN

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\setlist}{m}
 {
  \seq_gset_from_clist:Nn \g_textnik_test_seq { #1 }
 }

\NewDocumentCommand{\getitems}{}
 {
  \seq_map_function:NN \g_textnik_test_seq \textnik_dopar:n
 }
\seq_new:N \g_textnik_test_seq
\cs_new_protected:Nn \textnik_dopar:n
 {
  #1\par
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\setlist{line1, line2, line3}

\getitems

\end{document}

In this case, each item is passed as the argument to the indicated one parameter function.

You can add the counter as well:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\setlist}{m}
 {
  \seq_gset_from_clist:Nn \g_textnik_test_seq { #1 }
 }

\NewDocumentCommand{\getitems}{}
 {
  \int_zero:N \l_textnik_test_int
  \seq_map_inline:Nn \g_textnik_test_seq
   {
    \int_incr:N \l_textnik_test_int
    \int_to_arabic:n {\l_textnik_test_int}:~##1\par
   }
 }
\seq_new:N \g_textnik_test_seq
\int_new:N \l_textnik_test_int
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\setlist{line1, line2, line3}

\getitems

\end{document}