Right, I've looked up and down, left and right... Circular, back in time, and every which way I can... I've looked every which way - but loose, and I'm hoping you look that way at the following code (sorry - that movie just jumped into my head).

So this if is driving me crazy - it works everywhere else, but here...

		set numeric <CML_stotal; $parameter(1)$>
		if NOT ( $parameter(1)$ = %CML_stotal% ) then {
			debug <MATH ERROR == SUB ==>
			debug <MATH ERROR == Library Parameter "$parameter(1)$" is not a number. Skipping...>
		}

The if compares a numeric <$parameter(1)$> to a normal $parameter(1)$
Then if it's a number it will reply with that - if NOT, it'll print this debug message and then luckily, quest defaults the error'd numeric to 0...

BUT when I pass any number into there, I get the if activating... BUT even MORE weird is the fact the numeric and the parameter ARE the same... yet they aren't coming out the comparison the same... WHY!?!?
*rips out hair*
Anyone hazard a guess?

It's probably just quest being picky about the NOT aspect. I think it's a bit out of date and is mostly used for checking if an object has a property or action really.

Have you thought of just checking if %CML_stotal% <> $parameter(1)$ (or vice-versa)?

Seems like the obvious work around, though couldn't you just check the length of %CML_stotal% as a string put into a numeric would result in 0, or just checking if %CML_stotal% is equal to nothing? Both of those seem like easy enough ways to go around it, I'm thinking it is just a muck up with the NOT piece of code.

I think I remember something like <> and it complaining... But I'll try again later.
I Just can't understand why it goes past that bit every time...
The reason I don't use zero - is because it is a valid number. And the $lengthof()$ function I think only works on strings... Numerics would result in 1 or more characters anyway - so either way that's impossible to tell.

::EDIT::
OK... Did what you suggested ITID, <> does work... I can't remember why I didn't use it in the first place - but I must have had a reason.
Anyway, thanks for the assistance!

Hi guys

Testing for a number not a string is curiously awkward to do in ASL, for example passing the string '007Bond' (where did I get that from I wonder) to a function will see it evaluated as 7 wheras 'Bond007' will be evaluated as 0.

So basically, if your function accidentally gets passed a variable that contains a mix of alpha & numerics, results are going to be somewhat unpredictable.

Although it is long winded, I think I'd go with something that tests the passed parameter for valid characters - that way if any non numerics are in the passed variable the whole thing is evaluated as being a string & returns 0. Something like:

define function <IsNumber>

  set string <Test_For; 0123456789->
  set string <Passed_Val; $parameter(1)$>
  set numeric <Test_Result; $parameter(1)$>
  set numeric <Passed_Len; $lengthof(#Passed_Val#)$>
	
  if (%Passed_Len% = 0) then {
    set <Test_result;0>
  }
  else {
    for <i;1;%Passed_Len%> {
      set string <Test_Var;$mid(#Passed_Val#;%i%;1)$>	
      if ($instr(#Test_For#;#Test_Var#)$ =0 ) then set <Test_Result;0>
    }
  }
  return <%Test_Result%>	

end define

Here I've done it so that a passed variable that contains any non numeric returns zero (which is what Quest delivers for strings that don't start with numerics!) I think I'd probably prefer the return of the -32767 (or whatever it is exactly) that Quest returns for an undefined numeric variable.

Al (MaDbRiT)

Hmmm, well - my main reson for this - is that the programmer *should* see any error in output, see the debug info (as printed) and then see that the stuff he's passing the function is not a number - or at least, not a proper number (007Bond is one example)... I will have to set the number to zero though...

I think my other functions skip the parameter altogether - but I'm not sure...

Thanks for the info though Al - helpful as ever!

007bond is actually a good example. Just on that point, i've been trying to write some code for MPlayer that gets the user's input, then checks each character to see if it is a number (0-9). It works, but it works to well. It says "Invalid Character" even when there are only numbers in it!