Chapter 0.2: Storing Information - Variables & Data Types

To create rules, we first need to be able to store and label information. Imagine you want to create a puzzle where a door only opens after three buttons are pressed. You need to keep track of how many buttons have been pressed.

This is the job of a variable. A variable is a named container for a piece of data.

In Squirrel, the most common way to create a temporary variable is with the local keyword, followed by a name, an equals sign (=), and the data you want to store.

// This creates a variable named 'buttonsPressed' and stores the number 0 in it.
local buttonsPressed = 0

// This creates a variable to store the name of the current test chamber.
local chamberName = "Escape Route Alpha"

// This variable stores whether the exit door is currently unlocked.
local isDoorUnlocked = false

The text after a // is a comment. The engine ignores it completely. Use comments to leave notes for yourself and others explaining what your code does.

Fundamental Data Types

Variables can hold different types of data:

• Integer: Any whole number, positive or negative (-10, 0, 3, 9999).
• Float: Any number with a decimal point (-0.5, 3.14159, 100.0).
• String: A sequence of text characters, always enclosed in double quotes (" ").
• Bool (Boolean): Can only ever be one of two values: true or false.
• Null: A special type that represents "nothing" or "no value".