Describe the fundamentals of Dart language syntax, including data types, operators, and control structures.
Dart is a versatile programming language with a clean and concise syntax. Understanding the fundamentals of Dart's language syntax, including data types, operators, and control structures, is essential for building robust and efficient applications. Let's explore these aspects in detail:
1. Data Types:
* Dart supports various data types, including:
+ Numbers: `int` for integers and `double` for floating-point numbers.
+ Strings: Denoted by single or double quotes, representing sequences of characters.
+ Booleans: `true` or `false` values representing logical conditions.
+ Lists: Ordered collections of objects, denoted by square brackets (`[]`).
+ Maps: Unordered collections of key-value pairs, denoted by curly braces (`{}`).
+ Sets: Unordered collections of unique objects, denoted by curly braces (`{}`) preceded by the `Set` keyword.
2. Operators:
* Arithmetic Operators: `+`, `-`, `*`, `/`, `%` (modulus), `~/` (integer division).
* Assignment Operators: `=`, `+=`, `-=`, `*=`, `/=`, `%=`.
* Comparison Operators: `==`, `!=`, `>`, `<`, `>=`, `<=`.
* Logical Operators: `&&` (logical AND), `||` (logical OR), `!` (logical NOT).
* Bitwise Operators: `&` (bitwise AND), `|` (bitwise OR), `^` (bitwise XOR), `~` (bitwise NOT), `<<` (left shift), `>>` (right shift).
* Conditional Operator: `condition ? expression1 : expression2` (ternary operator).
3. Control Structures:
* Conditional Statements:
+ `if` statement: Executes a block of code if a given condition is true.
+ `else` statement: Provides an alternative block of code to execute when the `if` condition is false.
+ `else if` statement: Allows multiple conditions to be checked in sequence.
+ `switch` statement: Evaluates different cases and executes the block of code associated with the matching case.
* Looping Statements:
+ `for` loop: Executes a block of code repeatedly for a specific number of iterations.
+ `while` loop: Repeats a block of code while a given condition is true.
+ `do-while` loop: Executes a block of code at least once and then repeats it while a given condition is true.
+ `break` statement: Terminates the loop or switch statement it is within.
+ `continue` statement: Skips the current iteration of a loop and moves to the next iteration.
* Exception Handling:
+ `try-catch` block: Allows the handling of exceptions that may occur during the execution of code.
+ `on` clause: Catches specific types of exceptions.
+ `catch` clause: Handles the caught exception and performs appropriate actions.
+ `finally` block: Executes code that should always run, regardless of whether an exception is thrown or not.
These fundamentals of Dart's language syntax provide developers with a solid foundation for writing expressive and structured code. By mastering data types, operators, and control structures, developers can manipulate and process data effectively, make logical decisions, and control the flow of their Dart applications.