Difference between revisions of "Expressions"

Latest revision as of 02:26, 13 October 2017

This section explains how to write expressions in the Analytica language, such as

(-B + Sqrt(B^2 - 4*A*B))/(2*A)

You use expressions in the Definition of a Variable or Function to say how to calculate. An expression can be simply a literal number, including Boolean or date, a text value, or an identifier of a variable. Or it could be an arithmetic expression, a comparison or logical expression, IF a THEN b ELSE c, or a function call, such as Sqrt(B).

Analytica is primarily a Declarative language, where the Definition of each variable is a simple expressions. But Analytica does support constructs used in common procedural or imperative languages like Python or C++, including BEGIN ... END statements, For and While loops, local variables, assignments, references and data Structures, and handles to objects. See Procedural Programming for details.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Analytica User Guide]]
+[[Category: Expressions]]
 <breadcrumbs>Analytica User Guide > {{PAGENAME}}</breadcrumbs>
-The definition of each variable is an expression, such as
+This section explains how to write expressions in the Analytica language, such as
-:<code><nowiki>(- B + Sqrt(B^2 - 4*A*B))/(2*A)</nowiki></code>
+:<code>(-B + Sqrt(B^2 - 4*A*B))/(2*A)</code>
-An expression can consist of or contain a literal number (including Boolean or date), a text value, an identifier of a variable, an arithmetic expression, a comparison or logical expression, <code>IF THEN ELSE</code>, or a function call, such as <code>Sqrt(B)</code>.
+You use expressions in the Definition of a Variable or Function to say how to calculate. An expression can be simply a literal [[Numbers|number]], including [[Boolean or truth values|Boolean]] or [[Date and Time Values|date]], a [[Text values|text value]], or an identifier of a variable. Or it could be an arithmetic [[Operators|expression, a comparison or logical expression]], [[IF a THEN b ELSE c]], or a [[Function calls and parameters|function call]], such as <code>Sqrt(B)</code>.
-See [[Procedural Programming]] for details on more advanced constructs, such as <code>BEGIN ... END </code> statements, '''For '''and '''While '''loops, local variables and assignments.
+Analytica is primarily a [[Declarative language]], where the Definition of each variable is a simple expressions. But Analytica does support constructs used in common procedural or imperative languages like Python or C++, including <code>BEGIN ... END </code> statements, [[For]] and [[While]] loops, local variables, assignments, references and data Structures, and handles to objects. See [[Procedural Programming]] for details.
-==Contents of the Analytica User Guide Chapter 10==
+==Sections==
 * [[Numbers]]
 * [[Date and Time Values]]
@@ Line 20: / Line 21: @@
 * [[Math functions]]
 * [[Numbers and text]]
-* [[Exception values INF, NAN, and NULL]]
+* [[INF, NAN, and NULL - Exception values]]
 * [[Warnings]]
 * [[Datatype functions]]
 ==See Also==
-<footer>Creating Interfaces for End Users / {{PAGENAME}} / Arrays and Indexes</footer>
+* [[Expression Syntax]]
+* [[Parsed Expressions]]
+* [[Expression Assist]]
+* [[The Expression popup menu]]
+* [[Tutorial: Arrays#Using_local_variables_and_indexes_in_an_expression|Tutorial: Using local variables and indexes in an expression]]
+<footer>Definitions / {{PAGENAME}} / Text, Date, Math, and Financial Functions</footer>