TYPE( ) Function
Evaluates an expression and returns the data type of its contents.
TYPE(cExpression)
Return Values
Character
Parameters
- cExpression
Specifies the expression to be evaluated, which can be a variable, field, memo field, or any other expression. The expression must be passed as a character string; place quotation marks around the names of memory variables, fields, and so on. If you do not place quotation marks around the expression, the TYPE( ) function evaluates the contents of the string. If the contents cannot be evaluated as a valid FoxPro expression, TYPE() returns "U" (undefined expression).
Remarks
The following table lists the character values TYPE( ) returns and their corresponding data types:
| Data type | Character returned |
|---|---|
| Character | C |
| Numeric (also float, double, and integer) | N |
| Currency | Y |
| Date | D |
| DateTime | T |
| Logical | L |
| Memo | M |
| Object | O |
| General | G |
| Screen (created with SAVE SCREEN) | S |
| Undefined type of expression | U |
If you pass an array as a parameter to TYPE( ), then the data type returned corresponds to the first element in the array. If you want to check the data type for a specific array element, then you must specify that element in the parameter. For example:
? TYPE("myarray[3]")
You can also use the TYPE( ) function to check if a memory variable is an array. For example:
? TYPE("myarray[1]")#"U"
Example
CLOSE DATABASES
OPEN DATABASE (HOME(2) + 'Data\testdata')
USE customer && Opens Customer table
nTest = 1.01
cTest = "String"
CLEAR
? TYPE('customer.contact') && Displays C
? TYPE('(12 * 3) + 4') && Displays N
? TYPE('DATE( )') && Displays D
? TYPE('.F. OR .T.') && Displays L
? TYPE('ANSWER=42') && Displays U
? TYPE('$19.99') && Displays Y
? TYPE('nTest') && Displays N
? TYPE('cTest') && Displays C