Level 6. Data Types: What Goes in the Box?

Different boxes hold different things. Hica has five main types right now:

Integers (int)

Whole numbers, no decimals. Like counting your toys.

fun main() {
  let age = 11
  let score = 100
  println(score)
}

Floats (float)

Numbers with a decimal point. Like measuring your height or weighing ingredients for a recipe.

fun main() {
  let pi = 3.14159
  let temp = 36.6
  println("{temp}")
}

Floats and integers are different types. If a function uses 3.14 * r, then r must also be a float (like 5.0, not 5).

Strings (string)

Text: words, sentences, emoji. Always wrapped in double quotes " ".

fun main() {
  let name = "Alex"
  let greeting = "Hello!"
  println(greeting)
}

Booleans (true / false)

Like a light switch: on or off. Used for yes/no questions.

fun main() {
  let is_raining = 10 > 5     // true!
  println(is_raining)
}

Characters (char)

A single letter, digit, or symbol. Always wrapped in single quotes ' '.

fun main() {
  let grade = 'A'
  let star = '*'
  println(grade)
}

Characters are different from strings:

• 'a' is a character: one single letter
• "a" is a string. Text that happens to be one letter long

Think of it like LEGO: a character is one brick, a string is a whole row of bricks.

🎯 Try it: Create variables for your name, your age, and whether you like pizza. What types are they?