Explicit data type mappings

In many, if not most, instances of access to .NET data types, ABL allows you to specify an ABL data type that implicitly maps to the specified .NET mapped data type (see GeneralABL support for .NET types). This is true, for example, for all direct assignments between ABL primitive and corresponding .NET mapped data types and most instances of method parameter passing between these same ABL and .NET data types (see Implicitdata type mappings). However, there are certain circumstances in which you need to explicitly indicate the .NET data type to which you want to map an ABL primitive type, as shown in the following table. These circumstances include:

When you pass ABL primitive or primitive array types to overloaded .NET method and constructor parameters where you do not want the default match (see Default matching ABL and .NET data types). For more information, see Passing ABL data types to .NET constructor and method parameters.

When you need to manually box an ABL primitive or primitive array type to a System.Object as a .NET mapped data type or a .NET array of mapped type elements other than the default match. For more information, see .NET boxingsupport and Accessingand using .NET arrays.

The following table shows how to specify the mapping from ABL primitive or primitive array types to .NET mapped data types or arrays of mapped type elements in a way that explicitly indicates the matching .NET data type. In general, if you want to match a .NET mapped type that is the default match for a given ABL primitive data type, you specify the ABL primitive data type as required. Otherwise, ABL provides a unique data type identifier (AS data type) that corresponds to a specific .NET mapped data type other than the default match. Note that in some rows, the ABL AS data type column is empty because the explicit .NET data type in these rows is the default (and, sometimes, the only) match for the corresponding ABL primitive (or primitive array) type. Also note that the mechanism for specifying the AS data type differs depending on the usage context and the data types involved.

Table 11. Explicit mappings from ABL primitive to .NET data types
Explicit .NET object type	Explicit C# primitive type	ABL primitive type	ABL AS data type
System.Boolean	bool	LOGICAL	–
System.Byte	byte	INTEGER	UNSIGNED-BYTE
System.SByte	sbyte	INTEGER	BYTE
System.DateTime	–	DATETIME¹	–
System.Decimal	decimal	DECIMAL²	–
System.Int16	short	INTEGER	SHORT
System.UInt16	ushort	INTEGER	UNSIGNED-SHORT
System.Int32	int	INTEGER³	–
System.UInt32	uint	INT64	UNSIGNED-INTEGER
System.Int64	long	INT64⁴	–
System.UInt64	ulong	DECIMAL	UNSIGNED-INT64
System.Double	double	DECIMAL	DOUBLE
System.Single	float	DECIMAL	FLOAT
System.Char	char	CHARACTER	SINGLE-CHARACTER
System.String	string	CHARACTER⁵ /LONGCHAR	–

¹ Use this ABL primitive data type to explicitly indicate a default match, with no need for an AS data type.

² Use this ABL primitive data type to explicitly indicate a default match, with no need for an AS data type.

³ Use this ABL primitive data type to explicitly indicate a default match, with no need for an AS data type.

⁴ Use this ABL primitive data type to explicitly indicate a default match, with no need for an AS data type.

⁵ Use this ABL primitive data type to explicitly indicate a default match, with no need for an AS data type.