Integeronly

Integeronly is a term used in software design to indicate that a value, input, or calculation is restricted to integers. While not a formal standard, it appears as a label or constraint in many libraries and interfaces. The aim is to keep operations within whole numbers and avoid floating-point artifacts in downstream processes.

Common contexts include form validation, command-line options, and API parameters where decimals would be invalid or misleading. In databases, integeronly constraints use integer types or CHECK constraints to enforce no fractional part. In numerical computing, integer arithmetic can improve determinism, but it limits range and expressiveness.

Implementation techniques vary. Validation may test that a string represents a whole number and lies within a permitted range. Parsing may convert to an integer by truncation, rounding, or strict rejection. Some languages offer predicates such as isInteger or type checks to enforce integeronly values.

Examples across languages illustrate the concept. Python uses isinstance(x, int) or int conversion with a check. JavaScript offers Number.isInteger(x). SQL enforces integer-only data with INTEGER types and constraints. MATLAB may cast inputs to integers and reject non-integers.

Because there is no universal specification, rules depend on context, language, and system. Documenting an integeronly feature should specify accepted formats, ranges, error handling, and how edge cases like leading zeros, signs, and empty inputs are treated.