Numeric Values

Numbers in Internet Object

Numbers in Internet Object provide accurate numerical representation for various applications, from simple counting to complex financial calculations. Internet Object supports three distinct numeric data types—Number, BigInt, and Decimal—each designed to meet different numerical requirements in modern applications.

Number Types

• Number (64-bit floating-point): Standard IEEE 754 double-precision numbers, ideal for general-purpose calculations and fractional values.

• BigInt: Arbitrary-precision integers for extremely large whole numbers that exceed 64-bit limitations.

• Decimal: Fixed-precision decimal values with exact arithmetic, essential for financial calculations and applications requiring precise decimal representation.

Number Formats

Internet Object supports various number formats. The table below distinguishes between decimal integers and regular (floating-point) numbers, and provides recommendations:

Note: Bases other than decimal (base 10)—that is, binary (base 2), octal (base 8), and hexadecimal (base 16)—can only represent integers, not fractional or decimal values. For non-integer values, use decimal (base 10) or scientific notation.

Format	Supported Types	Recommendation/Use Case
Decimal integer (base 10)	Number, BigInt	BigInt: large integers, Number: general-purpose integers
Decimal (floating-point)	Number, Decimal	Decimal: financial/precise decimals, Number: general-purpose decimals
Binary (base 2)	Number, BigInt	BigInt: large binary integers, Number: general binary values
Octal (base 8)	Number, BigInt	BigInt: large octal integers, Number: general octal values
Hexadecimal (base 16)	Number, BigInt	BigInt: large hex integers, Number: general hex values
Scientific notation	Number, Decimal	Decimal: precise scientific/financial, Number: general scientific
Special values	Number only	NaN and Infinity for undefined/infinite results

Type Identification

Each number type uses a distinct suffix for identification:

42          # Number (standard floating-point)
42n         # BigInt (arbitrary-precision integer)
42.50m      # Decimal (fixed-precision decimal)

Special Numeric Values

See Special Numeric Values: NaN and Infinity for details on undefined and infinite results (supported only by Number).

Note: Alternative base formats (binary, octal, hexadecimal) are documented within each number type specification.

Type Selection Guide

Use Case	Recommended Type	Reason
General calculations	Number	Standard performance and compatibility
Financial amounts	Decimal	Exact precision, no rounding errors
Large counters/IDs	BigInt	No precision limits for integers
Scientific notation	Number	Built-in floating-point support
Cryptographic values	BigInt	Handles arbitrarily large integers

Note: The term "decimal" is used in two contexts:

• Decimal (base-10): The common numeral system used by all number types

• Decimal (data type): A specific fixed-precision type for exact arithmetic

See Also

• Values - Overview of all Internet Object value types

• Schema for Numbers - Number validation and constraints