Auto conversion String-> Number

Support, goodday,

In the below copied sample the 24x7 scheduler blocks on
a "Type Mismatch" error although the variable 'a' has been
declared as a string type. Why ??

Robbert de GROOT
Publicis Group - Paris (France)

DIM is_empty, boolean
DIM A, string

set a,"1234"
IsEqual (a, "", is_empty)

LoopUntil (is_empty, END_LOOP2)

// ...

// ...
END_LOOP2:

This is because "1234" is automatically converted to a number and then conversion of a number against an empty string fails.

Here are several workarounds.

1. If you run 3.4.21 or later change the IsEqual line to
IsEqual ("", a, is_empty)

or

2. Use Length() method instead of IsEqual, for example,
Dim non_zero_length, number
Length( a, non_zero_length )

LoopUntil (non_zero_length, END_LOOP2)

or

3. Append some non-digit characters to the test string and then compare it, for example
Concat( a, "x", a)
IsEqual(a, "x", is_empty)

: Support, goodday,

: In the below copied sample the 24x7 scheduler blocks on
: a "Type Mismatch" error although the variable 'a' has been
: declared as a string type. Why ??

: Robbert de GROOT
: Publicis Group - Paris (France)

: DIM is_empty, boolean
: DIM A, string

: set a,"1234"
: IsEqual (a, "", is_empty)

: LoopUntil (is_empty, END_LOOP2)

: // ...

: // ...
: END_LOOP2:

Thanks for responding so quickly.

Solution 1 doesn't work (after installing v3.4.22) Same error message
Solution 2 Seems to work
Solution 3 Inacceptable. Doesn't permit to test empty string to know no files are remaning to handle

I'm quite astonished that 24x7 is doing an auto conversion. why is done ? there must be no reason that
a scripting machine converting automatically a STRING into a NUMBER. Why then is variable and type defining
obliged ?

: This is because "1234" is automatically converted to a number and
: then conversion of a number against an empty string fails.

: Here are several workarounds.

: 1. If you run 3.4.21 or later change the IsEqual line to
: IsEqual ("", a, is_empty)

: or

: 2. Use Length() method instead of IsEqual, for example,
: Dim non_zero_length, number
: Length( a, non_zero_length )

: LoopUntil (non_zero_length, END_LOOP2)

: or

: 3. Append some non-digit characters to the test string and then compare it,
: for example
: Concat( a, "x", a)
: IsEqual(a, "x", is_empty)

That's a long story. The data-type auto-conversion was invented in version 2.something. After that version it does not really matter how you define the type, but the syntax is preserved for backward compatibility. The only difference I can think of is the initial value.

For example if you do the following

Dim my_var, number
MessageBox my_var

You will get "0" displayed.

If you do the following

Dim my_var, string
MessageBox my_var

You will get an empty message. Yet you can define it as

Dim my_var, string, "0"
MessageBox my_var

and the result will be exactly the same. You can then do
Add my_var, 5, my_var
MessageBox my_var

and you will see "5"

: Thanks for responding so quickly.

: Solution 1 doesn't work (after installing v3.4.22) Same error message
: Solution 2 Seems to work
: Solution 3 Inacceptable. Doesn't permit to test empty string to know no files
: are remaning to handle

: I'm quite astonished that 24x7 is doing an auto conversion. why is done ?
: there must be no reason that
: a scripting machine converting automatically a STRING into a NUMBER. Why then
: is variable and type defining
: obliged ?