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==Recital Variables and Constants== ===An Introduction to Recital Variables=== ====Naming and Creating a Variable==== Variable names must begin with a letter (A-Z, a-z) or an underscore (-), followed by any combination of letters, digits or underscores. The variable name can be of any length, but only the first 32 characters are significant, so these must be unique. Recital ignores the case of letters, so m_var, M_VAR, and m_VaR would all be treated as the same memory variable name. The name given to a variable has no bearing on the type of data that is, or can be, stored in it. By default, Recital is a loosely typed language and the type of data stored in a particular variable can be changed at any time. Variables can be declared as a particular data type, and in this case only values of the correct data type can be assigned. <code lang="recital"> private nVar as numeric // Valid assignment nVar = 1234 // Throws error nVar = 'a character value' </code> When [[SET STRICT|set strict is on]], variables must be declared before their value can be assigned. By default, [[SET STRICT|set strict is off]] and pre-declaration is not required. Variables can be declared as public, private or local and will be initialized as a logical false (.F.). <code lang="recital"> public cVar1 as character, nVar1 private cVar2, nVar2 as numeric local cVar3, nVar3, dVar3 as date </code> ====Assigning a Value to a Variable==== Values are assigned to memory variables at the time of declaration or using the [[STORE|store]] command or the equals = operator. <code lang="recital"> public cVar1 as character = 'start value' private cVar1 as character = 'start value' local cVar1 as character = 'start value' store 'new value' to cVar1 cVar1 = 'newer value' </code> Note that the [[STORE|store]] command can assign a value to more than one memory variable in a single command. <code lang="recital"> store 'new value' to cVar1, cVar2 </code> ====Accessing a Variable==== Variables can be accessed using the variable name. The memory variable pointer ''m->'' or ''m.'' prefix is optional. <code lang="recital"> nVar = 1234 echo nVar echo m.nVar echo m->nVar </code> ====Changing the Type of a Variable==== The [[TYPE()|type()]] or [[VARTYPE()|vartype()]] functions can be used to determine the data type of any variable. '''All Variables''' * [[CAST()|cast()]] - perform data type conversion <pre> expression = cast(expression as expression AS datatype as character [, width as numeric [, precision as numeric]] [null | not null]) </pre> * [[ETOS()|etos()]] - perform data type to string conversion <pre> character = etos(expression as expression) </pre> * [[TOSTRING()|tostring()]] - perform data type to string conversion <pre> character = tostring(expression as expression [, length as numeric) </pre> '''Character Variables:''' Please see [[Working With String Data in Recital#String Conversion Functions|String Conversion Functions]] in the separate chapter ''Working With String Data in Recital''. '''Date and Datetime Variables:''' Please see [[Working With Date and Time Data in Recital#Date and Time Conversion Functions|Date and Time Conversion Functions]] in the separate chapter ''Working With Date and Time Data in Recital''. '''Numeric Variables''' Please see [[Working With Numeric Data in Recital#Numeric Conversion Functions|Numeric Conversion Functions]] in the separate chapter ''Working With Numeric Data in Recital''. '''Logical Variables''' * [[LTOS()|ltos()]] - perform logical to string conversion ====Checking Whether a Variable Exists==== The [[ISSET()|isset()]] function can be used to check whether a variable exists. <code lang="recital"> if isset(nVar) // nVar exists endif </code> ====Variable Scope==== [[PUBLIC|Public]] variables are globally visible, they are accessible and can be changed from any part of an application. If the application is run from the Interactive Prompt, then any public variables can still be accessed even after the application ends. Any variables created at the Interactive Prompt are automatically created as public variables. [[PRIVATE|Private]] variables are only visible within the declaring module (program, procedure, User Defined Function) and any modules called by that declaring module. Any variables accessed within a module that are not pre-declared are automatically created as private variables. When the module returns, then all of the memory variables and arrays that were declared by the private command are released. [[LOCAL|Local]] variables are only visible within the declaring module and are released when the module returns. Local variables differ from private variables in that a local variable is not visible to lower level procedures or functions. To manually release a memory variable, use the [[UNSET()|unset()]] function: <code lang="recital"> if isset(nVar) unset(nVar) endif </code> ===Understanding Recital Variable Types=== ====Recital Character Variables==== Character variables contain a string of ASCII characters up to 65535 characters in length. To prevent non-character values being assigned to a character variable, use the 'as character' clause at the time of declaration. The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'C' for character variables and the [[IS_STRING()|is_string()]] function returns .T. (true). <code lang="recital"> private cVar as character = "Hello World" ? type("cVar") C ? is_string(cVar) .T. </code> ====Recital Numeric Variables==== Numeric variables contain a signed or unsigned integer number of up to 16 digits (0-9) or floating point number of up to 25 digits (9 are reserved for decimal places) and one decimal point. To prevent non-numeric values being assigned to a numeric variable, use the 'as numeric' clause at the time of declaration. The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'N' for numeric variables and the [[IS_FLOAT()|is_float()]] and [[IS_INT()|is_int()]] functions return .T. (true). <code lang="recital"> private nVar as numeric = -12.34 ? type("nVar") N ? is_float(nVar) .T. ? is_int(nVar) .T. </code> ====Recital Date Variables==== Date variables contain a valid combination of digits and separators in a format determined by the [[SET DATE|set date]] and [[SET CENTURY|set century]] commands. To prevent non-date values being assigned to a date variable, use the 'as date' clause at the time of declaration. The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'D' for date variables. <code lang="recital"> private dVar as date = date() ? type("dVar") D </code> ====Recital Logical Variables==== Logical variable contain either .T. for true or .F. for false. To prevent non-logical values being assigned to a logical variable, use the 'as logical' clause at the time of declaration. The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'L' for logicals. <code lang="recital"> private lVar as logical = .T. ? type("lVar") L </code> ====Recital Datetime Variables==== Datetime variables contain a valid combination of digits and separators in a format determined by the [[SET DATE|set date]] and [[SET CENTURY|set century]] commands. To prevent non-datetime values being assigned to a datetime variable, use the 'as datetime' clause at the time of declaration. The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'T' for datetime variables. <code lang="recital"> private tVar as datetime = datetime() ? type("tVar") T </code> ====Recital Currency Variables==== Currency variables contain monetary numeric values. To prevent non-currency values being assigned to a currency variable, use the 'as currency' clause at the time of declaration. The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'Y' for currency variables. <code lang="recital"> private yVar as currency = $99.99 ? type("yVar") Y </code> ===Recital Constants=== ====Character Constants==== A string of ASCII characters up to 65535 characters in length. Delimited by double quotes "", or single quotes &#145;&#146;. <code lang="recital"> 'goodbye' "RECITAL" "1234.56" "12/12/2009" </code> The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'C' for character strings. ====Numeric Constants==== A signed or unsigned integer number of up to 16 digits (0-9) or floating point number of up to 25 digits (9 are reserved for decimal places) and one decimal point. <code lang="recital"> 1234 1234.56 </code> The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'N' for numerics. ====Date Constants==== A combination of digits and separators delimited by curly braces {}. The format is determined by the [[SET DATE|set date]] and [[SET CENTURY|set century]] commands. <code lang="recital"> // set date is BRITISH, set century is OFF {21/01/09} // set date is AMERICAN, set century is ON {01/21/2009} // set date is GERMAN, set century is ON {21/01/2009} // set date is JAPAN, set century is ON {2009/21/01} </code> The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'D' for dates. ====Logical Constants==== A choice of two values, .T. for true, .F. for false The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'L' for logicals. ====Datetime Constants==== A combination of digits and separators delimited by curly braces {}. The format is determined by the [[SET DATE|set date]] and [[SET CENTURY|set century]] commands. <code lang="recital"> // set date is BRITISH, set century is OFF {21/01/09 02:11:12 PM} // set date is AMERICAN, set century is ON {01/21/2009 05:09:09 AM} // set date is GERMAN, set century is ON {21/01/2009 11:30:00 PM} // set date is JAPAN, set century is ON {2009/21/01 12:10:10 AM} </code> The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'T' for datetimes. ====Currency Constants==== A monetary value prefixed with a dollar sign, '$', and consisting of up to 9 digits and 4 decimal places. <code lang="recital"> $123456789.1234 $99 </code> The [[TYPE()|type()]] function returns 'Y' for currency values.

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