Types

• The main types in the language are:

  • Numbers - represent real numbers in the IEEE 754 standard
• • • • Any operation with a result that gives an exact representation
      • must always give that representation
      • The IEEE 754 standard makes integers unnecessary

  • Strings - a sequence of characters

  • • • Strings are immutable values
      • When modifying a string a new string is always created

  • Boolean - have values false and true

  • • • Conditionals consider false and nil to be false values
      • Anything else is true

  • nil

  • • • nil is a non-value representing the absence of a useful value

  • Functions - a function can be assigned to a variable

  • Table - an associative array

• The type function gives the type of a variable

print (type("Hello")) -- gives string print (type(true)) -- gives boolean local a = 10 local b = type(a) -- gives number print (b) print (type(b)) -- gives string