Re: Primitive Type Definition

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From: Mujtaba Syed (mujtaba_at_marlabs.com)
Date: 01/25/05

  • Next message: Jon Skeet [C# MVP]: "Re: Primitive Type Definition" 
    Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:38:07 -0500

    CLR types can be bifurcated as value types and reference types. Primitive
    types are some commonly used types like Int32, Single, String, and Boolean
    are primitive types. These types generally have aliases defined in
    languages. All primitive types except string are value types.

    Mujtaba.

    "Ice" <ice@nospam.com> wrote in message
    news:%23uLGcarAFHA.1524@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
    >
    > "Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <skeet@pobox.com> wrote in message
    > news:MPG.1c60007428034b6e98bc6d@msnews.microsoft.com...
    > > Ice <ice@nospam.com> wrote:
    > > > Up till now (at least in my opinion) the definition of a primitive
    type
    > has
    > > > been at a language level. You can refer to this definition on msdn at
    > > > ms-help://MS.NETFrameworkSDKv1.1/vblsnet/html/vblrfVBSpec6_2.htm
    > > >
    > > > However, in reading Jeffrey Richters book (Applied Microsoft .NET
    > Framework
    > > > Programming), he mentions the term "CLR primitive values" and
    > illustrates
    > > > that at the "CLR level", Decimal is not a primitive type.
    > > >
    > > > I guess my question is: At what level do we make the decision as to
    > whether
    > > > a type is a "primitive type"? At both the language and CLR level? Is
    > there
    > > > another name/term/defintion for "types" that have specific IL
    > instructions
    > > > that manipulate their values?
    > > >
    > > > I'm interested to know what people's opinions are.
    > >
    > > C# defines simple types but not primitive types. (It mentions
    > > "primitive" types, but always in quotes as a sort of "you know what I
    > > mean here" rather than defining them.) I think the CLR level is really
    > > the one it makes sense to define primitive types at.
    > >
    > > --
    > > Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.com>
    > > http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
    > > If replying to the group, please do not mail me too
    >
    > Yeah, just saw that in the C# language specification although the VB
    > specification uses "primitive" type. You would think that it would be
    > consistent. Books also use "primitive" type.
    >
    >

  • Next message: Jon Skeet [C# MVP]: "Re: Primitive Type Definition"

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