QL is a script language with object oriented capabilities. The lifetime of a script is described as follows:
- *.ql script is compiled to internal bytecode
- optionally bytecode can be written to a *.qob file
- bytecode can be interpreted
- various bytecode object files can be loaded and linked before execution
The script language data types have been designed to encompass:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| integer | you guessed it: 32 bits signed integer |
| string | as in a string of characters |
| bcd | binary decimal floating point up to 40 decimal places |
| database | A pointer to a database object |
| query | A pointer to a query object |
| variant | A result from a database query (can hold any database datatype) |
| file | A file pointer |
| array | An array of elementary datatypes (integer, string, bcd) |
| +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
See also de definition file: QL_in_BNF.txt for a definition of the language