What is LC's internal text format?

[Mark Waddingham]

On 2018-11-13 18:21, Geoff Canyon via use-livecode wrote:
> Nothing I said in this thread has anything to do with optimizing the
> allOffsets routines; I only used examples from that discussion because 
> they
> illustrate my puzzlement on the exact topic you (in general) raised: 
> how
> data types are handled by the engine. I'd generalize the responses, to 
> say
> that it seems how the engine stores data and how it presents that data 
> are
> not identical in all cases.

The best way to think about it is that the engine stores data pretty 
much in the form it is presented with it; however, what script sees of 
data is in the form it requests. In particular, if data has been through 
some operation, or mutated, then there is a good change it won't be in 
the same form it was before.

e.g. put tVar + 1 into tVar

Here tVar could start off as a string, but would end up as a number by 
virtue of the fact you've performed an arithmetic operation on it.

> The above notwithstanding: sorry I outraged you; I'll exit this thread.

Obviously I'm not Ben, but I *think* it was 'faux outrage' (well I hope 
it was - hence my jocular comment about herding cats!) - so I don't 
think there's a reason to exit...

Warmest Regards,

Mark.

-- 
Mark Waddingham ~ mark at livecode.com ~ http://www.livecode.com/
LiveCode: Everyone can create apps