Difference Between ANY & VARIANT Data Types?
When working in TIA Portal, the ANY and Variant data types can seem deceptively similar because both can accept almost anything you pass into a function block. However, once you look under the hood, they behave in very different ways. Understanding these differences helps you write cleaner, safer, and more flexible code, especially when building reusable logic or diagnostic tools.
In this post, we explore what these data types actually store, why their internal structure matters, and how this affects your decision when choosing one over the other in real automation projects. You will see how pointer based access differs from signature based access, and why the Variant often provides more power and clarity in structured applications.
🎥 Watch the full episode below, or become a Do & Grow member to access the extended breakdown on Variant runtime type checking, safe data handling strategies, and unoptimized memory structure considerations.
