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.
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
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
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
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