Lingo Dictionary > Symbols > # (symbol)

 

# (symbol)

Syntax

#symbolName

Description

Symbol operator; defines a symbol, a self-contained unit that can be used to represent a condition or flag. The value symbolName begins with an alphabetical character and may be followed by any number of alphabetical or numerical characters.

A symbol can:

Assign a value to a variable

Compare strings, integers, rectangles, and points

Pass a parameter to a handler or method

Return a value from a handler or method

A symbol takes up less space than a string and can be manipulated, but unlike a string it does not consist of individual characters. You can convert a symbol to a string for display purposes by using the string function.

The following are some important points about symbol syntax:

Symbols are not case sensitive.

Symbols can't start with a number.

Spaces may not be used, but you can use underscore characters to simulate them.

Periods may not be used in symbols.

All symbols, global variables, and names of parameters passed to global variables are stored in a common lookup table.

Example

This statement sets the state variable to the symbol #Playing:

state = #Playing

See also

ilk(), string(), symbol(), symbolP()