Data types
General data types
In general a data type is understood to be the summary of a specific object set (e.g. character strings) and the methods allowed on this set (e.g. conversion methods). Each data type can be assigned a quantity or set of variables or constants which must correspond to the semantics of the data type and on which specific methods assigned to the data type can be invoked.
FirstSpirit offers a large number of pre-defined data types:
General data types:
- Boolean: The Boolean data type represents a Boolean value with the characteristics true and false.
- Date: The data type Date is suitable for processing or editing values which represent a date and/or a time.
- List: The data type List is represented by an ordered, indexed set of list elements.
- Map: The data type Map is represented by a set of elements which can be accessed via a unique key value.
- Number: The data type Number represents a number.
- Set: The data type Set is represented by an ordered quantity (set) of unique elements, i.e. each element may only exist in the set precisely once.
- String: The data type String is represented by a text with a fixed or variable length which consists of a sequence of characters (e.g. letters, digits, special characters and control characters).
Special data types:
- BinaryMedium: The data type BinaryMedium is represented by documents (e.g. .pdf, .doc) and other files (e.g. .zip, .swf), which exist in the Media Store of the FirstSpirit project.
- DatasetContainer: The data type DatasetContainer represents a logical grouping of an entity (data type Entity) from a database and the relating table template of a FirstSpirit project.
- DomElement: The data type DomElement represents a document tree which contains structured data, e.g. the sections saved in the DOM input component.
- ElementReference: The ElementReference data type returns a reference to a page reference or to a medium.
- Entity: The data type Entity represents a data record which has usually been entered in the Content Store.
- GraphicalMedium: The GraphicalMedium data type is represented by picture files (e.g. .jpg, .gif), which exist in the Media Store of the FirstSpirit project.
- Link: The data type Link is suitable for editing / processing values which represent a link within or outside the project.
- MappingMedium: The data type MappingMedium is a linked picture (mapping), which is returned, e.g. by the IMAGEMAP input component.
- Option: The data type Option represents a selection or option, e.g. in a set-valued input component (cf. e.g. input component CHECKBOX).
- PageRef: The data type PageRef represents a page reference from the Site Store.
- Section: The data type Section represents a section of a section list (cf. input component CONTENTAREALIST).
- SectionList: The data type SectionList represents a section set of a section selection (cf. input component SECTIONLIST).
- SectionListEntry: The data type SectionListEntry represents a section of a section selection (cf. input component SECTIONLIST).
- Table: The data type Table represents a table (cf. input component DOMTABLE).
- TargetReference: The data type TargetReference returns a reference to any FirstSpirit object.