5.3. Declarations

5.3.1. Types

New type names are introduced using the TYPE keyword:

TYPE Length IS Number

VAR len: Length

In the above case, Length is an alias for Number and the two can be used interchangeably.

More often the TYPE keyword is used for introducing aggregate types:

TYPE Widget IS RECORD
    size: Number
    colour: String
END RECORD

VAR r: Widget

5.3.2. Constants

Constants are defined using the CONSTANT keyword:

CONSTANT Pi: Number := 3.141592653589793
CONSTANT Sky: String := "blue"

The value assigned to a constant must be able to be evaluated at compile time. This may be an expression:

CONSTANT Pi: Number := 3.141592653589793
CONSTANT Pi2: Number := Pi ^ 2

CONSTANT Greeting: String := "Hello " & "world"

5.3.3. Variables

Variables are declared using the VAR keyword:

VAR count: Number
VAR colour: String

Variables declared outside a function are global variables. Variables declared inside a function are visible only from within the scope where they are declared.

Read-only values (therefore not actually variables) are declared with the LET keyword:

IMPORT os

LET path: String := os.getenv("PATH")

Note

The difference between LET and CONSTANT is that a CONSTANT value must be able to be evaluated at compile time. A LET value can be initialised from data that is known only at runtime.

Tip

If you calculate a value, or save the return value from a function call, then usually LET is what you want to use. Use VAR only when necessary in the case where your program logic needs to modify the variable later.

5.3.4. Exceptions

Exceptions are declared with the EXCEPTION keyword:

EXCEPTION PrinterOutOfPaperException

Exception names must end with the word Exception.

Exceptions may also declare subexceptions:

EXCEPTION PrinterException
EXCEPTION PrinterException.OutOfPaper

5.3.5. Interfaces

Interfaces are declared with the INTERFACE keyword:

INTERFACE Shape
    FUNCTION perimeter(self: Shape): Number
    FUNCTION area(self: Shape): Number
END INTERFACE

Interfaces are used with classes to declare that a class must implement a specific set of functions.

5.3.6. Exports

Identifiers can be exported using the EXPORT keyword:

EXPORT name

VAR name: String

The EXPORT keyword may be combined with the declaration:

EXPORT VAR name: String