Additional Topics > External Development Guide > IDL and Internal Variables

# IDL and Internal Variables

This section describes how variables are created and managed within IDL. While reading this chapter, you should refer to the following figure to see how each part fits into the overall structure of an IDL variable.

The IDL_VARIABLE Structure

Scalar Variables

Array Variables

Structure Variables

Heap Variables

Temporary Variables

Creating an Array from Existing Data

Getting Dynamic Memory

Accessing Variable Data

Copying Variables

Storing Scalar Values

Obtaining the Name of a Variable

Looking Up Main Program Variables

Looking Up Variables in Current Scope

Freeing Dynamic Resources