Extract magic literals in comparisons into named constants to satisfy the compiler.

← Operators and Expressions · Ref: Q1184

Name all literals used in comparisons:

  expensiveThreshold <- 50.0
  if price > expensiveThreshold
    stdout.println("Expensive")

EK9 rejects 'price > 50.0' with E11064 — magic literals in comparisons must be named. This improves readability and makes intent explicit.

See Q238 for operator set. See Q240 for arithmetic operators.

Example

#!ek9
defines module qa.operators.namedconstantsrequired

  defines function

    isExpensive()
      -> price as Float
      <- rtn as Boolean: false

      //Named constant — compiler accepts this
      expensiveThreshold <- 50.0
      rtn: price > expensiveThreshold

    isLongString()
      -> item as String
      <- rtn as Boolean: false

      //Named constant for string length comparison
      minLength <- 5
      rtn: length item > minLength

  defines program

    NamedConstantsRequiredDemo()
      stdout <- Stdout()

      //Use named constants in comparisons
      price <- 75.0
      stdout.println(`Expensive: ${isExpensive(price)}`)

      cheapPrice <- 10.0
      stdout.println(`Expensive: ${isExpensive(cheapPrice)}`)

      longWord <- "International"
      stdout.println(`Long: ${isLongString(longWord)}`)

      shortWord <- "Hi"
      stdout.println(`Long: ${isLongString(shortWord)}`)

Common mistakes

E11064 — EK9 rejects magic literals in comparisons. Extract 50.0 into a named variable like expensiveThreshold.

Incorrect:

      rtn: price > 50.0

Correct:

      expensiveThreshold <- 50.0
      rtn: price > expensiveThreshold

Other ways to ask this

Write code that avoids magic numbers in comparisons by using named variables
I keep getting E11064 when comparing against literal values in EK9
In Java I'd use static final for magic numbers. What is the EK9 pattern for named constants?
Fix a comparison that uses a bare literal by extracting it into a named constant

Coming from another language?

Java: private static final double THRESHOLD = 50.0. Python: THRESHOLD = 50.0 (convention). Go: const threshold = 50.0. EK9: threshold <- 50.0 (compiler-enforced naming).

Keywords: E11064, comparison, constant, literal, magic, named, threshold