Utterly tripped out, Calculation issue

[keshalyi]

OK... so I've entered the twilight zone.

Here's my field:

"1" = "2"

Here's my result:

1

What?:? No it doesn't! "1" does NOT equal "2"!!!

For some reason, my computer has gone bonzers, and it is matching strings by length, not by contents. I can't figure out why, and it is driving me bonkers. What coudl possibly be causing this problem???

[LiveOak]

In FM's narrow view of the universe, this is the correct answer. You've just got to understand what you told FM to do.

If you enter "1" = "2" into a calculation field, FM recognizes the embeded "=" sign as a logical test that evaluates to a true or false, much like typing A > 1. The "1" text string is converted to a number, then a boolean. "1" becomes a 1 which becomes "True", "2" becomes a 2 which becomes a logical "True". FM evaluates the logical expression True = True as a true result, or in other words, a logical one.

Ergo, the result of the number 1.

-bd

[keshalyi]

*smile* now that my logic has calmed down...

very well. Then how would one go about testing the equality of two strings? By your same logic (and by my testing) "PV" = "DC" (an example that I want to be false). Now, let me say, one thing that truly boggles me is, that the result of if("PV" = "DC", 1, 0) returns 0, while "PV" = "DC" returns 1. This seems strange to me. So, everytime I want to test string equality, do I have to put it in an if statement? Why? I don't understand how the if-nest changes the result of "PV" = "DC".

[LiveOak]

"PV" = "DC" returns a zero when I test it. Are you sure this is EXACTLY what you are testing, or are you testing fields with these contents? If so, go back at look at your field types.

-bd

[keshalyi]

WEll... well blast it! That's what I thought to, but yesterday it was giving me 1 as the result. So I opened my file today, just to make sure that I had everything defined correctly, and the bloomin thing is equaling 0, like it should! No, not in fields, just to test the behaviour, I made a field that was: "PV" = "DC" and it returned 1 yesterday! I know, because I banged at the *%#$%$#&*#$%#$% thing for an hour! Anyway, all better now, for no reason. Just a weird bug I guess... that bugs me...