4.4 Writing data types

int x; // x is an integer
int|string x; // x is a string or an integer
array(string) x; // x is an array of strings
array x; // x is an array of mixed
mixed x; // x can be any type
string *x; // x is an array of strings

// x is a mapping from int to string
mapping(string:int) x;

// x implements Stdio.File
Stdio.File x;

// x implements Stdio.File
object(Stdio.File) x;

// x is a function that takes two integer
// arguments and returns a string
function(int,int:string) x;

// x is a function taking any amount of
// integer arguments and returns nothing.
function(int...:void) x;

// x is ... complicated
mapping(string:function(string|int...:mapping(string:array(string)))) x;

mixed

This means that the variable can contain any type, or the function return any value

array( type )

This means an array of elements with the type type.

type *

This also means an array of elements with the type type.

mapping( key type : value type )

This is a mapping where the keys are of type key type and the values of value type.

multiset ( type )

This means a multiset containing values of the type type.

object ( program )

This means an object which 'implements' the specified program. The program can be a class, a constant, or a string. If the program is a string it will be casted to a program first. See the documentation for inherit for more information about this casting. The compiler will assume that any function or variable accessed in this object has the same type information as that function or variable has in program.

program

This too means 'an object which implements program'. program can be a class or a constant.

function( argument types : return type )

This is a function taking the specified arguments and returning return type. The argument types is a comma separated list of types that specify the arguments. The argument list can also end with ... to signify that there can be any amount of the last type.

type1 | type2

This means either type1 or type2

void

Void can only be used in certain places, if used as return type for a function it means that the function does not return a value. If used in the argument list for a function it means that that argument can be omitted. Example: function(int|void:void) this means a function that may or may not take an integer argument and does not return a value.