Built-in constants

LotusScript® provides several built-in constants that you can use in your scripts. LotusScript® predefines other constants in the file LSCONST.LSS. To include this in your scripts, use the %Include directive.

Constant

Value

NOTHING

The initial value of an object reference variable, before it has been assigned. As soon as you assign a specific reference to the variable, the variable no longer contains NOTHING. If you delete an object reference variable, its value reverts to NOTHING. You can explicitly assign the value NOTHING to an object reference variable. To test an object reference variable for the NOTHING value, use the Is operator, for example: (objname Is NOTHING).

NULL

A special value that represents unknown or missing data. Various operations return a NULL value, but you can only assign the NULL value to a Variant variable that does not contain an object reference variable. To determine if a variable contains the NULL value, use the IsNull function. Do not use the IsNull function with an object reference variable argument as IsNull(objname) will always return FALSE.

PI

The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. This constant can be assigned to any numeric variable, or used in numeric expressions.

TRUE and FALSE

The Boolean values True and False, which LotusScript® evaluates as the integer values -1 and 0, respectively. These values are returned by all comparison and logical operations. In an If, Do, or While statement, which test for TRUE or FALSE, any nonzero value is considered True.

LotusScript® also includes an internal value named EMPTY. This is the initial value of a Variant variable. LotusScript® converts EMPTY to the empty string ("") in string operations and to 0 in numeric operations. To test a variable for the EMPTY value, use the IsEmpty function. You cannot assign EMPTY as a value.