Please note that the recommended version of Scilab is 2025.0.0. This page might be outdated.
See the recommended documentation of this function
type
returns the type of a Scilab object
Syntax
i = type(x)
Arguments
- x
a Scilab object: a variable or valid expression.
- i
integer code identiying the type of
x.
Description
type(x) returns an integer which is the type of x,
defined as following:
- 1
- decimal or complex numbers
- 2
- with real or complex coefficients
- 4
- booleans
- 5
- a .
- 6
- a .
- 7
- Matlab sparse matrix
- 8
- integers stored on 1 (
int8), 2 (int16), 4 (int32), or 8 (int64) bytes. - 9
- graphic handles.
- 10
- text objects.
- 13
- a compiled function in Scilab code.
- 14
- library of compiled Scilab functions.
- 15
- a simple list.
- 16
- a typed list (tlist).
- 17
- a matrix-oriented typed list (mlist).
- 128
- an identifier of a Xcos block, of a ()'s result, etc.
- 129
- a size implicit polynomial used for indexing.
- 130
- a built-in Scilab function, aka gateway (C, C++ or Fortran code).
- 0
- An undefined element of a list (with a typeof
void, such as in the function callfoo(a,,b), or inlist(%pi,,%i,,,%z)), or a null object of typeoflistdeletereturned bynull().
Remarks
Some data may be stored in custom containers defined as typed lists of type 16
(tlist) or 17 (matrix-oriented typed mlist). This is also the case for embedded
types like (rationals), structures
(struct),
state-space, interactive trees
(uitree), etc, for which
type(..) will return 16 or 17. One will use
typeof to get more information about their actual
(sub)type.
Type conversion in mixed operations:
When a binary operator (like the multiplication) or an n-ary iterated one (like the concatenation) is applied between two operands of distinct but compatible types, usually the type of one of both is implicitly converted, and the other operand sets the type of the result to its own type.
Examples with the concatenation :
[%t, 3.124], [int8(5), 3.124], etc.
For the concatenation, addition, substraction, multiplication, division, and the power operation, the hierarchy between operands types is as follows (read "A < B": B imposes its type to A) :
- boolean < (decimal number, complex encoded number)
(decimal number, complex-encoded number) < encoded integer.- polynomial (real | complex) < rational (real | complex)
Examples
// (Select some lines, right-click and choose "Execute.." to run the selection) L = list(%pi,,"abc"); type(L(2)) // undefined component of a list type(42) // decimal numbers type(%nan) type(%inf) type(1+%i) // complex numbers s = sparse([1,2;4,5;3,10],[1,2,3]); type(s) // sparse-encoded decimal or complex numbers type(%t) // booleans type(s>2) // sparse-encoded booleans g = int8([1 -120 127 312]); // encoded integers type(g) type(1.23 * int8(4)) type(1-%z+%z^2) // polynomials type(gdf()) // graphic handles type("foo") // texts deff('[x] = mymacro(y,z)',['a=3*y+1'; 'x=a*z+y']); type(mymacro) // Scilab functions type(disp) // Built-in functions l = list(1,["a" "b"]); // simple lists type(l) e = tlist(["listtype","field1","field2"], [], []); type(e) // Typed list h = mlist(['V','name','value'],['a','b';'c' 'd'],[1 2; 3 4]); type(h) // Typed matrix-oriented list clear s, s.r = %pi // structures type(s) c = {%t %pi %i %z "abc" s} // cells type(c) r = [%z/(1-%z) (1-%z)/%z^2] type(r) // rational fractions
See also
- typeof — explicit type or overloading code of an object
- inttype — type integers used in integer data types
- isreal — check if a variable is stored as a complex matrix
- brackets — Concatenation. Recipients of an assignment. Results of a function
- overloading — display, functions and operators overloading capabilities
- rational — rational fractions
- tlist — Scilab object and typed list definition.
- mlist — Scilab object, matrix oriented typed list definition
- null — deletes a list component or a field of a structure, Mlist, or Tlist
History
| Version | Description |
| 6.0 | The type 11 is removed. It was used for uncompiled Scilab functions. |
| Report an issue | ||
| << strings | types | typename >> |