Boolean

structure Boolean

Members

(Boolean values have no suffixes, other than the Structure suffixes all values have.)

A Boolean value is the smallest unit of data possible in a computer program. It can contain one of exactly two values, either True, or False.

When setting a Boolean value, you can use the special keywords true or false to give it a value:

set myVariable to true.
set myVariable to false.

You can also set it equal to the value of any true/false expression, for example:

set x to 781.
set itHas3Digits to (x >= 100 and x <= 999).
print itHas3Digits.
True.

If printed to the terminal, a Boolean value will return the string "True" or "False".

Operators

Boolean expressions can use any of the following operators:

These all assume both a and b are Boolean values:

• not a returns true if a is false, or false if a is true.

• a and b returns true if and only if both a and b are true, else returns false.

• a or b returns false if either a is true, b is true, or both are true. Only returns false with both a and b are false.

The order of operations is as shown above. First it performs not, then and, then or. Parentheses can be used to force the order of operations to be the way you want, as usual.

Example

Boolean values stored in a variable can be used in place of any conditional check syntax anywhere. Example:

set should_stage to false.

// set should_stage to true if the ship has no active engines right now:
//
set should_stage to (ship:maxthrust = 0).

// set should_stage to true if any of the active engines are flamed out,
// which should cover most "asparagus staging" strategies:
//
list engines in englist.
for eng in englist {

  // note, eng:flameout is a Boolean value here, being used as the
  // conditional check of this if-statement:
  //
  if eng:flameout {
    set should_stage to true.
  }
}

// Note 'should_stage' is a Boolean value here, being used as the
// conditional check of this if-statement:
//
if should_stage {
  stage.
}