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:

• Area: The data type Area represents a hotspot of an imagemap which is created using the input component CMS_INPUT_IMAGEMAP.
• Card: Catalog objects are returned by the input component FS_CATALOG. They contain Card objects.
• Catalog: Catalog objects are returned by the input component FS_CATALOG. They contain Card objects. (Note: in template set and snippet definitions of templates, FS_CATALOG input components return objects of type CatalogAccessor.)
• CatalogAccessor: in template set and snippet definitions of templates, FS_CATALOG input components return objects of type CatalogAccessor. (Note: in all other cases, FS_CATALOG input components return objects of type Catalog.)
• 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.
• GregorianCalendar: This data type represents a Gregorian calendar and enables interpretation of different date formats as Year, Month, Day, Hour, Minute and Second.
• Index: The input component FS_INDEX generally returns an object of this type, which can include Record objects. (Note: in template set and snippet definitions of templates, FS_INDEX input components return objects of type IndexAccessor which provide both String identifiers as well as data objects matching these identifiers.)
• IndexAccessor: Objects of this type are returned by FS_INDEX input components in template set and snippet definitions of templates. These objects provide read-only access to the String identifiers of references stored in the component as well as to the data objects matching these identifiers. (Note: in all other cases, FS_INDEX input components return objects of type Index.)
• 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).
• Record: The input component FS_INDEX returns Index objects which can contain objects of type Record.
• Table: The data type Table represents a table (cf. input component DOMTABLE).
• TargetReference: The data type TargetReference returns a reference to any FirstSpirit object.