Is there option to store negative numbers in field with brackets ie (12) for -12

[pk9]

I would like to list negative numbers in all my forms/reports with Brackets ie. (12) for -12. I know I can use the TRANSFORM function but that has side effects I can not use. Is there a way to store neg. no. in the field with brackets as a numeric value.
Thanks
Peter

[Stan Mathews]

I would like to list negative numbers in all my forms/reports with Brackets ie. (12) for -12. I know I can use the TRANSFORM function but that has side effects I can not use. Is there a way to store neg. no. in the field with brackets as a numeric value.
Thanks
Peter

You can format the display of numbers on forms and reports in a variety of manners. Right click on a field representing a number, choose properties, format tab.

[pk9]

Stan,
Thanks
but brackets are not one of the options for negative numbers or even an option to customize.
Peter

[Stan Mathews]

Stan,
Thanks
but brackets are not one of the options for negative numbers or even an option to customize.
Peter

Bummer. I was thinking of currency formatting where you can specify negative numbers with parentheses.

I'm sure you don't want the overhead of creating a calculated character field to correspond to each such numeric field where the character value would be the equivalent transformed number.

You could of course create layout level calculated fields for display but that still seems tedious.

[pk9]

Stan,
There does not seem to be easy direct way.
I did not think so.
Peter

[Steve Andrews]

Peter,

While I agree with your and Stan's conclusion that there is no easy way around this and that calculated fields everywhere would be tedious, you could cut down on the tedious efforts with a UDF. For example, we have the following:

function Format4Neg as C(nAmount as N, nDec = 0)
	cFrmt = "@(T 9999999999999999"
	if nDec > 0
		cFrmt = cFrmt + "." + replicate("9",nDec)
	end if
	
	Format4Neg = alltrim(transform(nAmount,cFrmt))
end function

num = -23.75
?Format4Neg(num)
= "(24)"

?Format4Neg(num,2)
="(23.75)"

num = 875
?Format4Neg(num)
="875"

It's true that the format codes of the transform() function do allow for having negative numbers in parenthesis. But this is still unavailable in the properties of a field and would have to be accessed either by a one-line expression in a calculated field or by a UDF as shown above.

Steve

[pk9]

Thanks for your UDF Steve.
I was hoping there was a DBF field option to store neg. no. using brackets but that is probably asking to much. One can use the Transfrom function in a form using the RTF function but that creates other limitations/lamentations.
I will live with it and work around it.
Thank for the UDF.
Peter