Primitives

Karina provides a all Java primitives, ensuring straightforward interoperability.

Supported Primitive Types

Karina includes all the standard Java primitive types:

  • int: A 32-bit signed integer. Ideal for most numerical operations.
  • long: A 64-bit signed integer for larger numerical ranges.
  • short: A 16-bit signed integer, useful for compact storage.
  • byte: An 8-bit signed integer, often used for raw data manipulation.
  • char: A 16-bit Unicode character type, representing single characters.
  • bool: A boolean type representing true or false. Note: Karina uses bool (not boolean)
  • float: A 32-bit floating-point number, suitable for less precise decimal values.
  • double: A 64-bit floating-point number, for high-precision decimal calculations. Use this for most floating-point operations, as you benefit from the higher precision without a significant performance hit on modern hardware.

Strings in Karina

Both java.lang.String and string refer to the same underlying type and can be used interchangeably in Karina.

Strings in Karina are defined using quotation marks ("). As expected, escape characters such as \n for newlines or \" for embedding quotes are fully supported.

Interpolating Strings

Karina supports string interpolation, allowing you to embed variables and expressions directly within a string using single quots and the $ syntax. You can only embed variables after a $ sign.

let name = "Karina"
let age = 3

// Variable interpolation
let greeting = 'Hello, $name!'
println(greeting) // Output: Hello, Karina!

let info = "$greeting, i am $age years old."
println(info) // Output: Hello, Karina!, I am 4 years old.

You cannot include expressions behind the $ sign, create a temporary variable instead.

If you need to include a literal $ in your string, escape it using a backslash (\).

let message = 'This is not an interpolation: \$name'
println(message) // Output: This is not an interpolation: $name

There is no native support for concatenating strings. Instead, use string interpolation or a StringBuilder.