native.adoc

Native! datatype

Table of Contents

• 1. Abstract
• 2. Creation
• 3. Conversions
• 4. Comparisons
• 5. Testing values
• 6. Predefined words

1. Abstract

Native! values represent external functions that are written in Red/System for the sake of performance or convenience (e.g. accessing OS APIs). Natives are used like normal function values.

Native! is a member of the following typesets: any-function!, default!

2. Creation

Native values cannot be created at runtime.

3. Conversions

No conversions are supported for native! values.

4. Comparisons

Native values can be compared for sameness and equality with same?, ==, equal?, strict-equal?, not-equal?, <>.

5. Testing values

Use native? to check if a value is of the native! datatype.

>> native? :do
== true

Use type? to return the datatype of a given value.

>> type? :do
== native!

6. Predefined words

Predefined native! values can be viewed by typing help native! in the Red console.