Data types available in M
The M language has a range of different (data) types. They provide a way to classify values and sometimes constrain the kind of data that is allowed in a custom function. You could say data types define a value’s shape and indicate the operations that can be performed on it.
The type system in M can be seen as a hierarchy. At the base, all values conform with the any type. From here, we can get down to more specific types.
A layer down in the hierarchy, you can find more specific types. Think of primitive types, as well as more complex constructions like records, lists, and tables
. The type system also allows for the definition of custom types, giving users the flexibility to specify custom data structures.
One can also distinguish between values that can and cannot hold null
values through nullable types. This distinction is helpful when dealing with data sources where the absence of a value, represented by null
, is a possibility and should...