ThinBASIC Core Language > Data types and variables

Numeric equates

thinBasic allows you to refer to numeric constants by name. Those constant values are called equates.

A numeric equate (constant) must start with % sign.

Equates data type

Equates declaration has the following syntax:

%EquateName = NumericExpression [As NumericDataType]

Equal sign is optional, so the above sentence can also be written as:

%EquateName NumericExpression [As NumericDataType]

Where the optional parameter NumericDataType can be any of the allowed numeric data types: BYTE, INTEGER, WORD, DWORD, LONG, QUAD, SINGLE, DOUBLE, EXTENDED, CURRENCY.

If not NumericDataType is specified, default type will be assumed to be LONG.

Binary and hex numbers can be represented indicating &B or &H followed by the relative representation. Examples:

%MAXIMUM_D = &HFFFFFFFF As DWord

%MAXIMUM_L = &H7FFFFFFF As Long

%MINIMUM_L = &H80000000 As Long

%Normal = &B000000

%ReadOnly = &B000001

%Hidden = &B000010

%System = &B000100

%vLabel = &B001000

%SubDir = &B010000

%Archive = &B100000

Hex numbers can be also represented using C notation 0x... followed by the hex representation of the hex value.

Examples:

%MAXIMUM_D = 0XFFFFFFFF As DWord

%MAXIMUM_L = 0X7FFFFFFF As Long

%MINIMUM_L = 0X80000000 As Long

Examples

Some equate declaration example:

%MAXPIECES = 32

%NPARAM = 3

%NTYPE = 1

%RANK = 2

%FILE = 3

%KING = 1

%PAWN = 2

%MAXVALUE = 0.999 AS EXT

%ANYVALUE = 0.999 AS DOUBLE

Restrictions

1.Numeric equates name must start with percent sign %

2.Unlike variables, you can use an equate on the left side of an assignment statement only once.

3.If an equate has already been created, subsequent attempts to assign a new value will fail but no error will be generated

Numeric Equates

Numeric Equates