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Sigil (computer programming)

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371:" precedes extrinsic function names. Routines (used for procedures, subroutines, functions) and global variables (database storage) are prefixed by a caret (^). The last global variable subtree may be referenced indirectly by a caret and the last subscript; this is referred to as a "naked reference". System-wide routines and global variables (stored in certain shared database(s)) are prefixed with ^%; these are referred to as "percent routines" and "percent globals". 799:
for variables that specifies variable type by attaching certain alphabetic prefixes to the variable name. Unlike sigils, however, Hungarian notation provides no information to the compiler; as such, explicit types must be redundantly specified for the variables (unless using a language with
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As this affects the semantics (value) of a literal, rather than the syntax or semantics of an identifier (name), this is neither stropping (identifier syntax) nor a sigil (identifier semantics), but it is syntactically similar.
242:". While this is only convention, and not enforced, the language itself adopts the practice (e.g., *standard-output*). Similarly, some programmers surround constants with 804:). As most standard compilers do not enforce use of the prefixes, this permits omission and also makes code prone to confusion due to accidental erroneous use. 709:
by default. Fortran documentation refers to this as "implicit typing". Explicit typing is also available to allow any variable to be declared with any type.
551:". Likewise, the names of procedures that store values into parts of previously allocated Scheme objects (such as pairs, vectors, or strings) usually end in " 1090: 757:(CLI) requires a way to use variables in a different language that may be keywords in a calling language. This is sometimes done by prefixes. In 888:); in this case neither use is a sigil, as it affects the syntax of identifiers or the semantics of literals, not the semantics of identifiers. 159:
programming language. In Perl, the sigils do not specify fine-grained data types like strings and integers, but the more general categories of
884:" prefix can be used either for stropping (to allow reserved words to be used as identifiers), or as a prefix to a literal (to indicate a 674:" is a unary operator that translates the name of a variable into its contents. While this may seem similar to a sigil, it is properly a 333:(aka BIS), named variables are prefixed with "<" and suffixed with ">" because strings or character values do not require quotes. 732:
beginning with a capital letter differently from identifiers beginning with a small letter, a practice related to the use of sigils.
765:". This is mainly used to allow the use of variable names that would otherwise conflict with keywords. The same is achieved in 580:" precedes a local variable or parameter name. System functions (previously known as global variables) are distinguished by a " 1179: 363:" precedes intrinsic function names and "special variable names" (built-in variables for accessing the execution state). " 565:" on a variable that refers to a type. If the sigil is doubled, it refers to a type for which equality is defined. The " 796: 877: 813: 758: 754: 717: 422:
to express the structure of class definitions. Within class declarations and definitions as well, a prefix of
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In some cases the same syntax can be used for distinct purposes, which can cause confusion. For example, in
454: 356: 315: 1094: 1184: 1065: 721: 569:" character may also appear within or at the end of a variable, in which case it has no special meaning. 450: 446: 188: 540:" indicates that the method may have a potentially unexpected effect and needs to be handled with care. 348:" prefixed (regardless of local or global variables or data type). Binary variables are prefixed by an " 932: 114: 725: 702: 497: 126: 690: 812:
While sigils are applied to names (identifiers), similar prefixes and suffixes can be applied to
1041: 824:, specifying either how the literal should be evaluated, or what data type it is. For example, 642: 442: 61: 17: 272:" symbol, followed by a letter to denote the type of sigil, and then delimiters. For example, 927: 142: 693:, as noticeable from the fact that the dollar sign is omitted when assigning to a variable. 547:, by convention, the names of procedures that always return a boolean value usually end in " 1174: 705:, sigils are not used, but all variables starting with the letters I, J, K, L, M and N are 686: 27: 8: 907: 69: 1132: 1108: 792: 747: 741: 596: 239: 160: 1016: 513: 195:, to indicate the scope of variables. Prominent examples of twigils in Raku include " 490: 533: 529: 37: 953: 865: 817: 675: 663: 505: 457:
names (or interface or trait names, which share the same namespace as classes).
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indicates unsigned long long. Similarly, prefixes are often used to indicate a
821: 801: 751: 521: 991: 223:" sigil, while multifield (e.g., a 1-level list) variables are prefixed with " 1168: 1155: 203:), used with self-declared formal parameters ("placeholder variables"), and " 133:
as "string" instead of "dollar". Many BASIC dialects use other sigils (like "
966: 93: 573: 152: 902: 679: 558: 375: 337: 231: 118: 310:" ("hybrid") for arrays of 32-bit values. The later CLC-Intercal added " 885: 837: 828:
evaluates to the value 16 as an unsigned long long integer in C++: the
729: 649:" to distinguish them from functions, commands, and other identifiers. 600: 234:, special variables (with dynamic scope) are typically surrounded with 180: 172: 148: 84: 897: 102: 584:" prefix. The scope of temporary tables is indicated by the prefix " 207:", used with object attribute accessors (i.e., instance variables). 706: 667: 323: 314:" ("whirlpool") for a variable that can contain no value (used for 291: 65: 294:, variables are a 16-bit integer identifier prefixed with either " 138: 766: 713: 631: 426:
is used to indicate member methods and variables, while prefix
330: 129:. Consequently, programmers outside America tend to pronounce 52: 460: 387: 216: 200: 89: 611: 524:. Ruby also allows (strictly conventional) suffix sigils: " 391: 250: 156: 49: 1149: 630:" attribute, the sigil is not included. Related to XSLT, 434: 284:
for dates. Programmers can also create their own sigils.
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and their precision, and sometimes other types as well.
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is a regular expression of "foo". Other sigils include
257:" sigil. Similarly, constant names are prefixed with " 779:" prefix can also be applied to string literals; see 43: 117:. The best known example of a sigil in BASIC is the 367:" precedes non-standard intrinsic function names. " 40: 844:in Python, which represents the string with value 1166: 848:; as an escaped string this would be written as 769:by enclosing the name in square brackets, as in 445:name. Names not prefixed by this are considered 105:that possess different properties or behaviors. 832:prefix indicates hexadecimal, while the suffix 437:language, which was largely inspired by Perl, " 101:. Sigils can be used to separate and demarcate 99:a sign or image supposedly having magical power 603:and Perl, variable names are prefixed by the " 210: 1042:"C-INTERCAL 0.29 Revamped Instruction Manual" 657: 638:" sigil form both in definition and in use. 306:" ("tail") for arrays of 16-bit values and " 761:, any variable names may be prefixed with " 750:, the use of many languages in Microsoft's 614:, variables and parameters have a leading " 528:" indicates a predicate method returning a 1091:"Bang methods; or, Danger, Will Rubyist!" 696: 618:" sigil on use, although when defined in 302:" (called "twospot") for 32-bit values, " 113:The use of sigils was popularized by the 712:Various programming languages including 219:, scalar variables are prefixed with a " 500:, ordinary variables lack sigils, but " 1167: 298:" (called "spot") for 16-bit values, " 1088: 786: 344:" sigil, while all variables have a " 108: 780: 652: 868:such as @Override and @Deprecated. 859: 467:" for buffers (string variables), " 382:" are instances of the object type 13: 1089:Black, David A. (15 August 2007). 807: 645:, variable names are prefixed by " 14: 1196: 378:, string literals preceded with " 253:, variables are prefixed with a " 97:, meaning a "little sign", means 23:Symbol affixed to a variable name 125:") appended to the names of all 36: 1125: 599:, which was partly inspired by 268:, sigils are provided via the " 191:also uses secondary sigils, or 1101: 1082: 1058: 1034: 1009: 984: 959: 947: 920: 755:Common Language Infrastructure 471:" for integer variables, and " 261:" (pronounced "hash-dollar"). 1: 913: 410:is also used on the keywords 64:name, showing the variable's 871: 735: 7: 1180:Variable (computer science) 891: 322:" used to store a modified 211:Sigil use in some languages 60:) is a symbol affixed to a 10: 1201: 954:"Perl 6 variables:Twigils" 933:Collins English Dictionary 739: 430:indicates class elements. 115:BASIC programming language 72:, usually a prefix, as in 15: 1156:Linux kernel coding style 1017:"Getting Started: Sigils" 666:and in utilities such as 658:Shell scripting variables 588:" designating local and " 155:'s use of sigils for his 1066:"CLC-INTERCAL Reference" 1133:"string (C# Reference)" 956:, Perl 6 Documentation. 561:uses the prefix sigil " 359:programming language, " 238:in what is called the " 697:Identifier conventions 592:" designating global. 475:" for program labels. 340:, identifiers have a " 143:floating-point numbers 18:Sigil (disambiguation) 928:"Definition of sigil" 791:Related to sigils is 992:"Constants – Cycorp" 967:"Variables – Cycorp" 687:dereference operator 624:<xsl:variable> 491:"private" attributes 28:computer programming 16:For other uses, see 1158:, by Linus Torvalds 746:Actually a form of 167:"), arrays (using " 163:(using a prefixed " 1185:Naming conventions 793:Hungarian notation 787:Hungarian notation 742:Stropping (syntax) 597:Windows PowerShell 514:instance variables 240:earmuff convention 109:Historical context 1070:oshaboy.github.io 797:naming convention 682:, similar to the 653:Similar phenomena 620:<xsl:param> 520:" is prefixed to 512:" is prefixed to 504:" is prefixed to 485:" prefix, called 1192: 1159: 1153: 1147: 1146: 1144: 1143: 1129: 1123: 1122: 1120: 1119: 1105: 1099: 1098: 1093:. Archived from 1086: 1080: 1079: 1077: 1076: 1062: 1056: 1055: 1053: 1052: 1038: 1032: 1031: 1029: 1027: 1013: 1007: 1006: 1004: 1002: 988: 982: 981: 979: 977: 963: 957: 951: 945: 944: 942: 940: 924: 883: 866:Java annotations 860:Java annotations 851: 847: 843: 835: 831: 827: 818:integer literals 778: 771: 764: 689:for pointers in 685: 673: 648: 637: 629: 625: 621: 617: 606: 591: 587: 583: 579: 568: 564: 554: 550: 539: 527: 519: 511: 506:global variables 503: 484: 474: 470: 466: 440: 429: 425: 421: 417: 413: 409: 405: 401: 397: 385: 381: 370: 366: 362: 351: 347: 343: 321: 313: 309: 305: 301: 297: 283: 280:for strings and 279: 275: 271: 260: 256: 245: 237: 226: 222: 206: 198: 186: 178: 170: 166: 136: 132: 124: 79: 75: 59: 58: 55: 54: 51: 48: 45: 42: 1200: 1199: 1195: 1194: 1193: 1191: 1190: 1189: 1165: 1164: 1163: 1162: 1154: 1150: 1141: 1139: 1131: 1130: 1126: 1117: 1115: 1107: 1106: 1102: 1097:on 22 May 2016. 1087: 1083: 1074: 1072: 1064: 1063: 1059: 1050: 1048: 1040: 1039: 1035: 1025: 1023: 1015: 1014: 1010: 1000: 998: 990: 989: 985: 975: 973: 965: 964: 960: 952: 948: 938: 936: 926: 925: 921: 916: 894: 881: 874: 862: 849: 845: 841: 833: 829: 825: 822:string literals 810: 808:Literal affixes 789: 781:literal affixes 776: 770: 762: 744: 738: 699: 683: 671: 664:shell scripting 660: 655: 646: 635: 627: 623: 619: 615: 604: 589: 585: 581: 577: 566: 562: 552: 548: 537: 534:truthy or falsy 525: 522:class variables 517: 509: 501: 482: 472: 468: 464: 441:" precedes any 438: 427: 423: 419: 415: 411: 407: 403: 399: 395: 383: 379: 368: 364: 360: 349: 345: 341: 319: 311: 307: 303: 299: 295: 281: 277: 273: 269: 258: 254: 243: 235: 224: 220: 213: 204: 196: 184: 176: 168: 164: 153:shell scripting 134: 130: 122: 111: 77: 73: 39: 35: 24: 21: 12: 11: 5: 1198: 1188: 1187: 1182: 1177: 1161: 1160: 1148: 1124: 1100: 1081: 1057: 1033: 1008: 983: 958: 946: 918: 917: 915: 912: 911: 910: 905: 900: 893: 890: 873: 870: 861: 858: 809: 806: 802:type inference 788: 785: 740:Main article: 737: 734: 698: 695: 676:unary operator 659: 656: 654: 651: 416:implementation 212: 209: 110: 107: 80:is the sigil. 22: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1197: 1186: 1183: 1181: 1178: 1176: 1173: 1172: 1170: 1157: 1152: 1138: 1134: 1128: 1114: 1110: 1109:"C# Keywords" 1104: 1096: 1092: 1085: 1071: 1067: 1061: 1047: 1043: 1037: 1022: 1018: 1012: 997: 993: 987: 972: 968: 962: 955: 950: 935: 934: 929: 923: 919: 909: 906: 904: 901: 899: 896: 895: 889: 887: 879: 869: 867: 857: 853: 850:"C:\\Windows" 842:r"C:\Windows" 839: 823: 819: 815: 805: 803: 798: 794: 784: 782: 773: 768: 760: 756: 753: 749: 743: 733: 731: 727: 723: 719: 715: 710: 708: 704: 694: 692: 688: 681: 677: 669: 665: 650: 644: 639: 633: 613: 608: 602: 598: 593: 575: 570: 560: 556: 546: 541: 535: 531: 523: 515: 507: 499: 494: 492: 488: 480: 476: 462: 458: 456: 452: 448: 444: 436: 431: 406:. The prefix 393: 389: 377: 372: 358: 353: 339: 334: 332: 327: 325: 317: 293: 290: 285: 267: 262: 252: 247: 241: 233: 228: 218: 208: 202: 194: 190: 182: 174: 162: 158: 154: 150: 146: 144: 140: 137:") to denote 128: 120: 116: 106: 104: 100: 96: 95: 91: 87: 86: 81: 71: 67: 63: 57: 33: 29: 19: 1151: 1140:. Retrieved 1136: 1127: 1116:. Retrieved 1112: 1103: 1095:the original 1084: 1073:. Retrieved 1069: 1060: 1049:. Retrieved 1045: 1036: 1024:. Retrieved 1020: 1011: 999:. Retrieved 995: 986: 974:. Retrieved 970: 961: 949: 937:. Retrieved 931: 922: 875: 863: 854: 811: 790: 774: 745: 711: 700: 678:for lexical 661: 640: 609: 594: 574:Transact-SQL 571: 557: 542: 536:value, and " 495: 486: 477: 459: 432: 404:NSDictionary 373: 354: 335: 328: 286: 263: 248: 229: 214: 192: 147: 112: 98: 92: 83: 82: 31: 25: 1175:Source code 1001:31 December 996:www.Cyc.com 976:31 December 971:www.Cyc.com 903:Source code 730:identifiers 680:indirection 601:Unix shells 559:Standard ML 376:Objective-C 338:mIRC script 232:Common Lisp 181:subroutines 119:dollar sign 88:, from the 1169:Categories 1142:2011-03-23 1118:2011-03-23 1075:2022-06-30 1051:2022-06-30 1026:18 January 914:References 886:raw string 846:C:\Windows 840:, such as 838:raw string 816:, notably 634:uses the " 626:with the " 386:or, since 149:Larry Wall 103:namespaces 898:Delimiter 872:Confusion 748:stropping 736:Stropping 668:Makefiles 607:" sigil. 451:functions 447:constants 412:interface 1046:catb.org 892:See also 864:Compare 814:literals 707:integers 662:In Unix 481:uses a " 443:variable 396:NSNumber 384:NSString 324:compiler 292:INTERCAL 289:esoteric 183:(using " 179:"), and 175:(using " 151:adopted 139:integers 94:sigillum 76:, where 66:datatype 62:variable 880:, the " 826:0x10ULL 783:below. 718:Haskell 703:Fortran 670:, the " 530:boolean 516:, and " 433:In the 400:NSArray 390:v3.1 / 355:In the 318:) and " 316:classes 287:In the 274:~r(foo) 193:twigils 161:scalars 127:strings 1021:Elixir 939:22 May 767:VB.Net 728:treat 714:Prolog 632:XQuery 545:Scheme 489:, for 487:dunder 479:Python 463:uses " 418:, and 394:v4.0, 331:MAPPER 266:Elixir 173:hashes 908:Token 775:The " 532:or a 461:PILOT 455:class 388:clang 357:MUMPS 350:& 217:CLIPS 201:caret 185:& 90:Latin 85:Sigil 74:$ foo 70:scope 32:sigil 1137:MSDN 1113:MSDN 1028:2022 1003:2017 978:2017 941:2012 820:and 795:, a 752:.NET 724:and 722:Ruby 628:name 612:XSLT 498:Ruby 392:LLVM 369:$ $ 251:CycL 189:Raku 187:"). 171:"), 157:Perl 141:and 30:, a 834:ULL 701:In 643:MEL 641:In 622:or 610:In 595:In 576:, " 572:In 555:". 543:In 508:, " 496:In 453:or 435:PHP 420:end 402:or 374:In 365:$ Z 352:". 336:In 329:In 264:In 259:#$ 249:In 230:In 227:". 225:$ ? 215:In 199:" ( 68:or 26:In 1171:: 1135:. 1111:. 1068:. 1044:. 1019:. 994:. 969:. 930:. 878:C# 852:. 830:0x 772:. 759:C# 726:Go 720:, 716:, 672:$ 647:$ 636:$ 616:$ 605:$ 590:## 582:@@ 518:@@ 502:$ 493:. 483:__ 465:$ 449:, 439:$ 414:, 398:, 361:$ 342:$ 326:. 282:~D 278:~s 246:. 165:$ 131:$ 123:$ 121:(" 78:$ 53:əl 50:dʒ 1145:. 1121:. 1078:. 1054:. 1030:. 1005:. 980:. 943:. 882:@ 777:@ 763:@ 691:C 684:* 586:# 578:@ 567:' 563:' 553:! 549:? 538:! 526:? 510:@ 473:* 469:# 428:+ 424:- 408:@ 380:@ 346:% 320:_ 312:@ 308:; 304:, 300:: 296:. 270:~ 255:? 244:+ 236:* 221:? 205:. 197:^ 177:% 169:@ 135:% 56:/ 47:ɪ 44:s 41:ˈ 38:/ 34:( 20:.

Index

Sigil (disambiguation)
computer programming
/ˈsɪəl/
variable
datatype
scope
Sigil
Latin
sigillum
namespaces
BASIC programming language
dollar sign
strings
integers
floating-point numbers
Larry Wall
shell scripting
Perl
scalars
hashes
subroutines
Raku
caret
CLIPS
Common Lisp
earmuff convention
CycL
Elixir
esoteric
INTERCAL

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