Release calc version 2.10.2t30

help/types

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+Builtin types
+
+    The calculator has the following built-in types.
+
+    null value
+	    This is the undefined value type.  The function 'null'
+	    returns this value.  Functions which do not explicitly
+	    return a value return this type.  If a function is called
+	    with fewer parameters than it is defined for, then the
+	    missing parameters have the null type.  The null value is
+	    false if used in an IF test.
+
+    rational numbers
+	    This is the basic data type of the calculator.
+	    These are fractions whose numerators and denominators
+	    can be arbitrarily large.  The fractions are always
+	    in lowest terms.  Integers have a denominator of 1.
+	    The numerator of the number contains the sign, so that
+	    the denominator is always positive.  When a number is
+	    entered in floating point or exponential notation, it is
+	    immediately converted to the appropriate fractional value.
+	    Printing a value as a floating point or exponential value
+	    involves a conversion from the fractional representation.
+
+	    Numbers are stored in binary format, so that in general,
+	    bit tests and shifts are quicker than multiplies and divides.
+	    Similarly, entering or displaying of numbers in binary,
+	    octal, or hex formats is quicker than in decimal.  The
+	    sign of a number does not affect the bit representation
+	    of a number.
+
+    complex numbers
+	    Complex numbers are composed of real and imaginary parts,
+	    which are both fractions as defined above.  An integer which
+	    is followed by an 'i' character is a pure imaginary number.
+	    Complex numbers such as "2+3i" when typed in, are processed
+	    as the sum of a real and pure imaginary number, resulting
+	    in the desired complex number.  Therefore, parenthesis are
+	    sometimes necessary to avoid confusion, as in the two values:
+
+		    1+2i ^2		(which is -3)
+		    (1+2i) ^2	(which is -3+4i)
+
+	    Similar care is required when entering fractional complex
+	    numbers.  Note the differences below:
+
+		    3/4i		(which is -(3/4)i)
+		    3i/4		(which is (3/4)i)
+
+	    The imaginary unit itself is input using "1i".
+
+    strings
+	    Strings are a sequence of zero or more characters.
+	    They are input using either of the single or double
+	    quote characters.  The quote mark which starts the
+	    string also ends it.  Various special characters can
+	    also be inserted using back-slash.  Example strings:
+
+		    "hello\n"
+		    "that's all"
+		    'lots of """"'
+		    'a'
+		    ""
+
+	    There is no distinction between single character and
+	    multi-character strings.  The 'str' and 'ord' functions
+	    will convert between a single character string and its
+	    numeric value.  The 'str' and 'eval' functions will
+	    convert between longer strings and the corresponding
+	    numeric value (if legal).  The 'strcat', 'strlen', and
+	    'substr' functions are also useful.
+
+    matrices
+	    These are one to four dimensional matrices, whose minimum
+	    and maximum bounds can be specified at runtime.  Unlike C,
+	    the minimum bounds of a matrix do not have to start at 0.
+	    The elements of a matrix can be of any type.  There are
+	    several built-in functions for matrices.  Matrices are
+	    created using the 'mat' statement.
+
+    associations
+	    These are one to four dimensional matrices which can be
+	    indexed by arbitrary values, instead of just integers.
+	    These are also known as associative arrays.  The elements of
+	    an association can be of any type.  Very few operations are
+	    permitted on an association except for indexing.  Associations
+	    are created using the 'assoc' function.
+
+    lists
+	    These are a sequence of values, which are linked together
+	    so that elements can be easily be inserted or removed
+	    anywhere in the list.  The values can be of any type.
+	    Lists are created using the 'list' function.
+
+    files
+	    These are text files opened using stdio.  Files may be opened
+	    for sequential reading, writing, or appending.  Opening a
+	    file using the 'fopen' function returns a value which can
+	    then be used to perform I/O to that file.  File values can
+	    be copied by normal assignments between variables, or by
+	    using the result of the 'files' function.  Such copies are
+	    indistinguishable from each other.