inner loops, procedure call confusion - vb.net

Question

So what the issue is, i have 2 for loops one nested within another. The outer loop calling a procedure, the inner loop setting a attribute for the procedure to use. The problem is that the procedure is that I wan't to exit the loop use the pos <-- attribute call the procedure and re-enter the inner loop. At the minute the pos is only being set once because all the conditions are true within the inner loop meaning that its being replaced each time. I want to be able to set the pos exit the inner loop, call the procedure and re-enter the inner loop and set it pos to a different value? any help would be great!! here is the code
For Each val As String In vals
If creditPoints = "20" And semester = "1" And year = "Year 1" Then
For Each position In MyPosList
If position.strLabel = "a1" And available(0) <> "False" Then
pos = position.strX & " " & position.strY
count += 1
available(0) = blnavailable
ElseIf position.strLabel = "b1" And available(1) <> "False" Then
pos = position.strX & " " & position.strY
count += 1
available(1) = blnavailable
Next
shortfat(semester, pos, creditPoints, title, year, modStatus, count)
End If
next

Answer 1

Are you just looking to break out of the inner loop when one of those conditions are met? If so, that's what the Exit keyword is for. You really should also set a flag to sanity check yourself, too.
''//Flag so that we know if we actually found a position
Dim FoundPosition as Boolean
For Each val As String In vals
''//Reset the flag and assume that are conditions are met
FoundPosition = False
If creditPoints = "20" And semester = "1" And year = "Year 1" Then
For Each position In MyPosList
If position.strLabel = "a1" And available(0) <> "False" Then
pos = position.strX & " " & position.strY
count += 1
available(0) = blnavailable
''//Flag that our conditions are met
FoundPosition = True
''//Exit from the inner loop
Exit For
ElseIf position.strLabel = "b1" And available(1) <> "False" Then
pos = position.strX & " " & position.strY
count += 1
available(1) = blnavailable
''//Flag that our conditions are met
FoundPosition = True
''//Exit from the inner loop
Exit For
End If
Next
''//Sanity check to ensure that our conditions are met
If FoundPosition Then
shortfat(semester, pos, creditPoints, title, year, modStatus, count)
Else
''//Do something here, either Throw an error or safely handle this case otherwise
End If
End If
Next

Answer 2

"I want to be able to set the pos exit the inner loop, call the
procedure and re-enter the inner loop and set it pos to a different
value?"
Things like that are better served with a WHILE loop than a FOR loop.
Just a stab in the dark here, but it sounds like you want to be able to see if shortfat is producing a favorable value. And if it does not, you want it to recompute pos. The first thing I'd do, is alter shortfat to return some kind of value...for my example, I'll have it return a boolean.
Dim blnDidThisDoWhatIWant As Boolean
For Each val As String In vals
If creditPoints = "20" And semester = "1" And Year() = "Year 1" Then
blnDidThisDoWhatIWant = False
While blnDidThisDoWhatIWant = False
For Each position In MyPosList
If position.strLabel = "a1" And available(0) <> "False" Then
pos = position.strX & " " & position.strY
count += 1
available(0) = blnavailable
ElseIf position.strLabel = "b1" And available(1) <> "False" Then
pos = position.strX & " " & position.strY
count += 1
available(1) = blnavailable
End If
Next
blnDidThisDoWhatIWant = shortfat(semester, pos, creditPoints, title, Year, modStatus, count)
End While
End If
Next
This will allow you to re-enter the inner loop. The problem is that it'll be infinite unless pos is computed differently (which I don't see how it can). So that's something you'll have to work out on your own. Hope this helps point you in the right direction.