Objects - HP -28S Manual

16
Objects
Part 1 of this manual contains examples of the 10 basic object types in
the HP-28S. Objects are the basic entities in the calculator-the enti-
ties you create to formulate problems and manipulate to find
solutions.
The purpose of most object types is to save you work by providing
specific data types. For example, imagine using real numbers to repre-
sent arrays, somehow keeping track of each element in each array and
writing programs to do arithmetic with these arrays. It's simpler to
enter the numbers in an array object, which you can manipulate as a
single entity, and to perform calculations by using the normal
arithmetic functions.
However, the reason for multiple object types is broader than just
multiple data types. The symbolic and programmable features of the
calculator are based on symbolic objects (names and algebraics) and
program objects. These objects are not just data; they can be evalu-
ated to produce a result. (Evaluation of objects is discussed in chapter
23.)
By basing multiple data types, symbolic operations, and programming
on the simple concept of object types, the HP-28S minimizes the rules
you need to remember. Objects are keyed into the command line, put
on the stack, or stored in variables in exactly the same way, regardless
of object type.
This chapter summarizes what you learned about each object type,
gives more detailed information, and suggests additional uses.
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