Data types

Overview

In Qodly, data are handled according to their type in two places: the datastore and the QodlyScript language.

Although they are usually equivalent, some data types available at the datastore level are not directly available in the language and are automatically converted. Conversely, some data types can only be handled through the language. The following table lists all available data types and how they are supported/declared:

Data Types	Variable declaration	Datastore support (type)	Default value
blob	var blob	blob	0 byte
	var 4D.Blob	object	null
boolean	var boolean	bool	false
collection	var collection	-	null
date	var date	date	00-00-00
null	-	-	null
number	var integer, var number	number	0
object	var object	object	null
picture	var picture	image	pictureSize == 0
string	var string	string	""
time	var time	duration	00:00:00
undefined	-	-	undefined
variant	var variant	-	undefined

note

Variant is actually not a data type but a variable type that can contain a value of any other data type.

You can evaluate a data type using type and valueType commands.

Converting data types

QodlyScript contains operators and commands to convert between data types, where such conversions are meaningful. QodlyScript enforces data type checking. For example, you cannot write: "abc"+0.5+!12/25/96!-?00:30:45?. This will generate syntax errors.

The following table lists the basic data types, the data types to which they can be converted, and the commands used to do so:

Data Type to Convert	to String	to Number	to Date	to Time	to Boolean
String (1)		num	date	time	bool
Number (2)	string				bool
Date	string				bool
Time	string				bool
Boolean		num

(1) Strings formatted in JSON can be converted into scalar data, objects, or collections using the jsonParse command.

(2) Time values are durations and can be treated as numbers.

note

In addition to the data conversions listed in this table, more sophisticated data conversions can be obtained by combining operators and other commands.