Constant Types

Edit pageLast modified: 02 February 2025

Unlike identifiers (type names), constants cannot contain the dash (-) character. However, the grammar of the type name and the constant are identical, so this conflict of semantics will have to be resolved independently during the implementation of a custom solution that uses the TypeLang grammar.

Namespaces specifying a reference to a constant are also allowed.

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With this in mind, note that any constant is interpreted as a named type.

Given the complete identity of the grammar of constants with named type, they cannot contain case-insensitive names true, false and null of literals.

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Example of global constant (or type name)

JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR

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Example of namespaced constant (or type name)

pcov\version

Class Constants

Class constants begin with any type name, then contain a double colon (::) character, and then the constant name.

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Reference to a class constant in the global namespace.

ClassName::CONSTANT_NAME

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Reference a constant in a class that is located in some namespace.

Path\To\ClassName::ANOTHER_CONSTANT_NAME

Constant Masks

A reference to a certain set of constants can be defined using a mask. The use of masks is identical to regular constants, but must be terminated with an asterisk (*).

Prefixes on class constants can be omitted, so type will mean any class constant.

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Reference to any constant with the JSON_* prefix.

JSON_*

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Reference to any class constant with the PREFIX_ prefix.

Path\To\ClassName::PREFIX_*

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Reference to any class constant

Path\To\ClassName::*