function VLQtoWholeNum theHexVLQ
   -- The number must be an integer between zero and 4,294,967,295
   put baseConvert(theHexVLQ,16,2) into theBits
   put 0 into bitCounter
   put empty into the8bitBytes
   repeat
      if char 1 of theBits is not empty then
         put char 1 theBits after the8bitBytes
         delete char 1 of theBits
         if theBits is empty then exit repeat
         add 1 to bitCounter
         if bitCounter=8 then
            put "," after the8bitBytes
            put 0 into bitCounter
            next repeat
         end if
      else
         exit repeat
      end if
   end repeat
   put the number of items in the8bitBytes into y
   repeat with x = 1 to y
      put char 1 of item x of the8bitBytes into lengthCntrlBit
      delete char 1 of item x of the8bitBytes
      if the number of chars in item x of the8bitBytes < 7 then
         repeat 7 - (the number of chars in item x of the8bitBytes)
            put "0" before item x of the8bitBytes
         end repeat
      end if
      put item x of the8bitBytes after WholeNumInBinary
      switch lengthCntrlBit
         case "1"
            next repeat
            break
         case "0"
            exit repeat
            break
      end switch
   end repeat
   return baseConvert(WholeNumInBinary,2,10)
end VLQtoWholeNum

function isHexString theString
   ---again there is probably an easier way to do this:
   if char 1 to 2 of theString is "0x" then delete char 1 to 2 of theString
   put the number of chars in theString into y
   repeat with x = 1 to y
      if char x of theString is not in "abcdefABCDEF0123456789" then
         return false
      end if
   end repeat
end isHexString

on VLQHexToWholeNum
   Ask "Enter Variable Length Quantity Hex Value:" -- input dialog
   if it is not empty then
      if char 1 to 2 of it is "0x" then delete char 1 to 2 of it
      put it into hexString
      if isHexString(hexString) is false then
         answer "Only Valid Hex Digits Are Allowed!"
         exit VLQHexToWholeNum
      else
         put "Original Variable Length Quantity in Hex="& hexString & cr & \
               "Whole Number=" & VLQtoWholeNum(hexString) into fld "Output"
      end if
   end if
end VLQHexToWholeNum