Returns a binary data type of the string passed; data types other than string will first be converted to a string and then returned as binary data.

This function is useful if, for some reason, a string type actually contains binary data; using this function will ensure that all data in the string (even if it contains embedded nulls) is maintained in the binary object (Qore strings must normally be terminated by a single null, so some Qore string operations do not work on binary data with embedded nulls).

binary binary(string) (CONST)

binary binary(binary) (CONST)

binary binary(null) (CONST)

binary binary() (CONST)

$bin = binary("hello");

Returns a string created from the binary data passed, taking an optional second argument giving the string encoding. If no second argument is passed then the default encoding is assumed.

No checking is performed for embedded null characters or for character encoding violations; the data is simply copied from the binary value to the string (with any embedded nulls, if present), and the string is tagged with the given encoding or with the default encoding if no second argument is passed. See also string() and binary().

string binary_to_string(binary $bin)

string binary_to_string(binary $bin, string $encoding)

$str = binary_to_string($bin, "utf8");

Converts the argument to a boolean value.

bool boolean(softbool) (CONST)

bool boolean(null) (CONST)

bool boolean() (CONST)

$bool = boolean(1); # returns True

Converts the argument to a date and returns the date. When converting from an integer, the integer value represents the offset in seconds from 1970-01-01 in the local time zone.

See also date_ms(), date_us(), and localtime().

As of Qore 0.8.0, converting a date from a string is much more flexible; formats such as the following are now accepted (note that in the following examples, if the time zone/UTC offset is not explicitly specified, the local time zone is assumed):

date date(string) (CONST)

date date(string, string) (CONST)

date date(softint) (CONST)

date date(null) (CONST)

date date() (CONST)

$date = date(1); # return 1970-01-01T00:00:01

Converts the argument passed to a floating-point value.

float float(softfloat) (CONST)

float float(null) (CONST)

float float() (CONST)

$float = float("1.435"); # returns 1.435

Converts an object or a list to a hash; for any other argument, returns an empty hash (ignores any other arguments passed).

For an object argument, the hash returned is equal to the object members (excluding private members if called outside the class); a list is converted to a hash by taking even numbered list elements (starting with 0) and converting them to strings for the hash keys, and the odd numbered elements following the keys as the key value.

hash hash(list $list)

hash hash(list $keys, list $values)

hash hash(hash $hash) (CONST)

hash hash(object $obj)

hash hash() (CONST)

$h = hash($object); # creates a hash of the object's members

Converts the argument passed to an integer value if it is not already.

int int(softint) (CONST)

int int(null) (CONST)

int int() (CONST)

$int = int("200"); # returns 200

Returns a list; if any arguments are passed, they are inserted as the first element in the list returned.

list list(...) (CONST)

$l = list(200);

Converts the argument passed to a string value.

This function will not convert a binary value to a string; in order to do this, use the binary_to_string() function.

string string(softstring) (CONST)

string string() (CONST)

$str = string(200); # returns "200"

Returns the data type of the argument passed. See Type Constants for the values returned by this function..

string type(any) (CONST)

$type = type("hello"); # returns Type::String ("string")

deprecated: use type() instead.

typename(expression)