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3.2.6 Data Types

Each CoCoA object has a type. The possible types are:

  BOOL     : A boolean.  The boolean constants are TRUE and FALSE.
  DEVICE   : For input/output.
  ERROR    : Objects of this type are used in error-handling.
  FUNCTION : A CoCoA-defined function.
  IDEAL    : An ideal.
  INT      : An arbitrary precision integer.
  LIST     : A list.
  MAT      : A matrix.
  MODULE   : A submodule of a free module.
  NULL     : The null constant is Null.
  POLY     : A polynomial.
  RAT      : An arbitrary precision rational number.
  RATFUN   : A rational function.
  RECORD   : A record is a set of bindings, name --> object.
  RING     : A base ring, a polynomial ring, or a quotient ring.
  STRING   : A string.
  TAGGED   : Used to help in printing complicated objects.
  TYPE     : Returned by the function Type, for example.
  VECTOR   : A vector.
  ZMOD     : An integer modulo another integer, e.g. 3 % 5.

The types are partially ordered by inclusion of the sets that they represent, as follows:

  MAT < LIST
  VECTOR < LIST
  INT < RAT < POLY < RATFUN
  ZMOD < POLY < RATFUN  (if compatible).

In the manual, OBJECT is used to refer to an arbitrary CoCoA type. It is not a type itself.