Scalars

Scalars are variables which hold individual values.

Numerical scalar values are numerical values which indicate the magnitude of something -- for example, the mass of an object (e.g. 6 kilograms), or the distance between two points (5 miles). Numbers which are scalars are usually integers, fixed points, or floats.

Scalars stand in contrast to vectors, which are things such as velocity (the speed of something AND the direction it is headed in - e.g. 5 meters per second northeast), which combine multiple values in an array.

Ordinary users of HASH don't need to know what scalars are, and this information is provided as a reference for advanced type modelers only.