Variants.VarType Function

Returns the type code of a specified variant.

Pascal

function VarType(const V: Variant): TVarType;

C++

TVarType VarType(const Variant V);

File

Variants

Description

VarType returns the type code of the given variant. The resulting value is either the type code for a custom Variant type, or it is constructed from the constants declared in the System unit.

The lower twelve bits of a variant type code (the bits defined by the varTypeMask bit mask) define the type of the variant. The varArray bit is set if the variant is an array of the given type. The varByRef bit is set if the variant is a reference to a value of the given type as opposed to an actual value.

The following table describes the meaning of each of the variant type codes defined in the System unit:

VarType	Contents of variant
varEmpty	The variant is Unassigned.
varNull	The variant is Null.
varSmallint	16-bit signed integer (type Smallint in Delphi, short in C++ ).
varInteger	32-bit signed integer (type Integer in Delphi, int in C++).
varSingle	Single-precision floating-point value (type Single in Delphi, float in C++).
varDouble	Double-precision floating-point value (type double).
varCurrency	Currency floating-point value (type Currency).
varDate	Date and time value (type TDateTime).
varOleStr	Reference to a dynamically allocated UNICODE string.
varDispatch	Reference to an Automation object (an IDispatch interface pointer).
varError	Operating system error code.
varBoolean	16-bit boolean (type WordBool).
varVariant	A variant.
varUnknown	Reference to an unknown object (an IInterface or IUnknown interface pointer).
varShortInt	8-bit signed integer (type ShortInt in Delphi or signed char in C++)
varByte	A Byte
varWord	unsigned 16-bit value (Word)
varLongWord	unsigned 32-bit value (type LongWord in Delphi or unsigned long in C++)
varInt64	64-bit signed integer (Int64 in Delphi or __int64 in C++)
varStrArg	COM-compatible string.
varString	Reference to a dynamically allocated string (not COM compatible).

The value returned by VarType corresponds to the VType field of a TVarData record.

The type of a variant can be changed using VarAsType.