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How do I test for a "-"

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    How do I test for a "-"

    How can I test for "-"

    vBeginningPowerNumber="A-1234"
    ?contains(vBeginningPowerNumber,"-")
    = .F.

    #2
    Re: How do I test for a "-"

    http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...erator_($).htm

    Code:
    vBeginningPowerNumber="A-1234"
    ? "-"$"a-1234"
    = .T.
    
    ?"-"$vBeginningPowerNumber
    = .T.
    
    ?contains(vBeginningPowerNumber,"-")
    = .F.
    I would submit the contains() as a possible bug
    Andrew

    Comment


      #3
      Re: How do I test for a "-"

      Thanks for the quick reply and work around.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: How do I test for a "-"

        If you read the help on Contains() closely you will see that the function operates at the word level. Since there is no word "-" in your string it correctly returns false. Add a space on each side of the "-" and it returns true.
        Code:
        vBeginningPowerNumber="A-1234"
        ?contains(vBeginningPowerNumber,"-")
        = .F.
        
        vBeginningPowerNumber="A - 1234"
        ?contains(vBeginningPowerNumber,"-")
        = .T.
        So it seems to work as designed and no bug report is needed I would say.
        Tim Kiebert
        Eagle Creek Citrus
        A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: How do I test for a "-"

          The contains() is working---

          You have simply taken it out of context as to what it can do is all. It looks for words in a string....not a character within a word.

          so...
          Code:
          vBeginningPowerNumber="A - 1234"
          ?contains(vBeginningPowerNumber,"-")
          = .T.
          The spaces are the delimiter that the contains() function looks at when finding a word.


          EDIT---ya beat me to it!! Way tooooo unfair Tim!!! late afternoon there and almost 1am here---being tired is my excuse and that's all there is to it!!! Well, I guess you just may be faster as well but I like an excuse sometimes more than reality!!!! :)
          Mike
          __________________________________________
          It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
          It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
          Henry David Thoreau
          __________________________________________



          Comment


            #6
            Re: How do I test for a "-"

            Just as an aside--another function that can be used is *any()

            Code:
            vBeginningPowerNumber="A-1234"
            ?*any(vBeginningPowerNumber,"-")
            = .T.
            Mike
            __________________________________________
            It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
            It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
            Henry David Thoreau
            __________________________________________



            Comment


              #7
              Re: How do I test for a "-"

              Just as another aside, the one I like, if you know the character is there, at().
              vBeginningPowerNumber="A-1234"
              ?at("-",vBeginningPowerNumber)
              = 2
              Regards
              Keith Hubert
              Alpha Guild Member
              London.
              KHDB Management Systems
              Skype = keith.hubert


              For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

              Comment


                #8
                Re: How do I test for a "-"

                Partially correct.
                For alpha to identify the minus sign or any non alphanumeral as a word, there has to be a delimiter, therefore the minus sign does not have to be "surrounded by spaces", but rather there has to be a delimiter of some sort. No bugs here since there is no delimiter.
                Code:
                ?contains("ABC -","-")
                = .T.
                ?contains("- ABC","-")
                = .T.
                ?contains("ABC,-","-")
                = .T.
                ?contains("ABC,+","+")
                = .T.
                ?contains("ABC,~","~")
                = .T.
                When I said there has to be a delimiter of some sort, that also is not a totally correct statment. If the function does not take a delimiter as an argument, alpha will only recognize a space or a comma as a delimiter. I believe this issue came up in a different thread.
                Code:
                ?contains("ABC|+","+")
                = .F.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: How do I test for a "-"

                  John,

                  I can see from above that you have a work around but it might be worth looking at the substr() function. Below is a little bit of code demonstrating its use. I'm guessing some of the other functions use similar methods of looping through each character to see if it meets a criteria.

                  Code:
                  'Declare variables
                  dim vbeginningpower as c
                  dim message as c
                  dim chr_total as n
                  dim loop as n
                  dim minus as l
                  
                  'set variable values
                  minus=.f.
                  vbeginningpower="A-1234"
                  
                  chr_total=len(vbeginningpower)			'Get total number of characters in vbeginningpower variable
                  for loop=1 to chr_total				'set loop from 1 to total number of characters
                  if substr(vbeginningpower,loop,1)="-" then	'check to see if current character is equal to -
                  	minus=.t.				'if it is set variable minus to true
                  end if	
                  next loop									
                  
                  if minus=.t. Then				' if minus is true then 
                  	message=" contains a '-'."		' use this message value
                  	
                  	else					' if minus is false
                  	message=" does not contain a '-'"	' use this message value	
                  end if
                  
                  ui_msg_box("",vbeginningpower+message)		' display vbeginningpower and message in ui box

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: How do I test for a "-"

                    Thanks I'll explore that

                    Comment

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