Data types

DinoCode is dynamically typed. You don’t need to declare the type, the value defines it.

Is everything an object?#

No. Primitive types are supported that do not require memory management:

Type	Description	Memory Cost	Documentation
Integer	Whole numbers.	Insignificant (It is primitive)	Numbers
Float	Decimal numbers.	Insignificant (It is primitive)	Numbers
Boolean	True and false.	Insignificant (It is primitive)	Constants
None	Absence of value.	Insignificant (It is primitive)	Constants
String	Text strings.	Variable (Requires GC)	Strings
Array	Ordered collection of values.	Variable (Requires GC)	Arrays
BigInt	Large whole numbers.	Variable (Requires GC)	Numbers
Object	Key-value structure.	Variable (Requires GC)	Objects

Memory Management and GC

DinoCode uses a Garbage Collector (GC) with the Mark and Sweep algorithm to manage dynamic memory (Strings, Arrays, BigInts, and Objects).

Constants#

DinoCode provides predefined constants for common values:

Constant	Type	Description	Example
`true`	Boolean	True value	`active = true`
`false`	Boolean	False value	`active = false`
`none`	None	Absence of value	`result = none`
`nan`	Float	Not a number	`value = nan`
`infi`	Float	Positive infinity	`value = infi`
`-infi`	Float	Negative infinity	`value = -infi`

print true
print false
print none
print nan
print infi
print -infi

Special numeric values#

DinoCode allows mathematical operations that result in NaN and Infinity. Although with distinctions that separate it from other languages.

a = 0 / 0          # NaN
b = 1 / 0          # Infinity
c = -1 / 0         # -Infinity

if a == nan
    print "It is non-numeric. Invalid operation"

if b == infi
    print "It is positive infinity"

if c == -infi
    print "It is negative infinity"

Comparison with other languages

In JavaScript NaN == NaN is false. In DinoCode it is true, which makes it easier to validate.
In JavaScript NaN can propagate without restrictions. In DinoCode, it is handled more strictly.

For example:

a = 0 / 0     # NaN
if a  # RuntimeError: Cannot use NaN in a condition
  print a

print a as float    # RuntimeError: Cannot convert NaN to finite values

list = [1 2 3]
print list[a]  # RuntimeError: Cannot use NaN as an index

for i in 1..a # RuntimeError: Cannot use NaN as a limit
  print i

Type checking and conversion#

Learn more

Consult Type to check the type of a value.
Consult Global functions to use int(), float(), str() or the as operator.