Literals
Non-variable compile-time string and numeric values.
Literals are numbers or strings of characters specified directly in the source code. Literal values may be used by assigning them to a variable or constant, passing them to a procedure, or using them in an expression.
Numeric literals come in two forms - integer and floating-point.
Integer Literals
Decimal
Decimal digits ( `0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9` ).
Note: to get negative values, a "`-`" sign (`Operator - (Negate)`) can be placed before a numeric literal
`
Dim x As Integer = 123456
Dim b As Byte = -128
`
Hexadecimal
"`&H`", followed by hexadecimal digits ( `0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F` ).
`
Dim x As Integer = &h1E240
Dim b As Byte = &H80
`
Octal
"`&O`" ( O as in "Octal" ), followed by octal digits ( `0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7` )
`
Dim x As Integer = &O361100
Dim b As Byte = &O400
`
Binary
"`&B`", followed by binary digits ( `0 1` )
`
Dim x As Integer = &B11110001001000000
Dim b As Byte = &B10000000
`
Integer size suffixes
If an integer literal suffix is not given, the number field size required to hold the literal is automatically calculated. Specifying a size suffix guarantees that the compiler will consider a number as a specific integer size.
Integer literals ending with:

- "`L`", "`%`", are considered as signed 32 bit integers. (`Integer`)
- "`&`", are considered as signed 32 bit long integers. (`Long`)
- "`U`", "`UL`", are considered as unsigned 32 bit integers. (`UInteger`)
- "`LL`", are considered as signed 64 bit integers. (`LongInt`)
- "`ULL`", are considered as unsigned 64 bit integers. (`ULongInt`)

The prefixes, suffixes, and hexadecimal letter digits are all case-insensitive.
`
Dim a As Integer = 123L
Dim b As UInteger = &h1234u
Dim c As LongInt = 76543LL
Dim d As ULongInt = &b1010101ULL
`
Floating Point Literals
Floating point numbers are specified in decimal digits, may be positive or negative, have a fractional portion, and optionally an exponent. The format of a floating point literal is as follows:
`number[.[fraction]][((D|E) [+|-] exponent)|(D|E)|][suffix]`
or
`.fraction[((D|E) [+|-] exponent)|(D|E)|][suffix]`
By default, floating point numbers that do not have either an exponent or a suffix are considered as a double precision floating point value, except in the -lang qb dialect, where numbers of 7 digits or fewer are considered to be single precision.
`
Dim a As Double = 123.456
Dim b As Double = -123.0
`
The letter "`D`" or "`E`", placed after the number/fraction part, allows the number to be given an exponent. The exponent may be specified as either positive or negative with a plus ("`+`") or minus ("`-`") sign. Exponents that do not have a sign are positive.
An exponent is not required after the letter, so the letter can be used on its own just to specify the type. "`D`" specifies a double-precision floating-point number. "`E`" specifies a floating-point number using the default precision. When the letter is used on its own in combination with a suffix (see below) the type denoted by the suffix overrules the type specified by the letter.
`
Dim a As Double = -123.0d
Dim b As Double = -123e
Dim c As Double = 743.1e+13
Dim d As Double = 743.1D-13
Dim e As Double = 743.1E13
Dim f As Single = 743D!
`
A suffix of "`!`" or "`F`" on a number specifies a single precision (32 bit total) floating point value. A suffix of "`#`" specifies a double precision float.
Note that the letter suffixes and exponent specifiers are all case-insensitive.
`
Dim a As Single = 3.1!
Dim b As Single = -123.456e-7f
Dim c As Double = 0#
Dim d As Double = 3.141592653589e3#
`
String Literals
String literals are a sequence of characters contained between two double quotes. The sequence of characters escaped or non-escaped.
Double quotes can be specified in the string literal by using two double quotes together.
`
Print "Hello World!"
Print "That's right!"
Print "See the ""word"" contained in double quotes."
`
String literals can contain escape sequences if the string literal is prefixed by the `! Operator` (Escaped String Literal). See Escape Sequences for a list of accepted escape sequences.
`
Print !"Hello\nWorld!"
`
By default, string literals are non-escaped unless `Option Escape` was used in the source in which case all string literals following are by default escaped.
A string may be explicitly specified as non-escaped when prefixed by the `$ Operator` (Non-Escaped String Literal).
`
Print $"C:\temp"
`
Besides ASCII files with Unicode escape sequences (`\u`), FreeBASIC can parse UTF-8, UTF-16LE, UTF-16BE, UTF-32LE and UTF-32BE source files allowing unicode characters directly in the string literal.
See also

- `TypeOf`
- `#define`
- `Const`
- Standard Data Types
- TblVarTypes Table with variable types overview, limits and suffixes