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Negative Zero, Minus Zero

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    #1

    Negative Zero, Minus Zero

    Hi all,

    How can there be a negative zero [-0] ? I have a basic calc field which
    produced this but only for certain records. On deleting the offending records the problem went away so apparently the records somehow got corrupted. This wrecked havok with some error traps I had in place and spent quite a while trying to figure out the problem. Deleting records, for me at least, is pretty much a last resort as I would much rather find a cause and fix it so as to be able to prevent them from happening in the first place.

    The filter was basically on the order of:

    Calc=A_Total_field - Another_Calc_field

    I had also replaced the "Another_Calc_field" with the actual fields used to create it (such as total_of_field1 - total_of_field2, etc) with the same -0 result.

    This did occur fairly soon after my Form Properties Order filters corrupted and either went blank or had the word "Table" for the Order Filter---something that has happened now about 6 times in the last few months with no known cause.

    Could these two things be related in some strange way?? Can't see how and might just be confusing the scenario by mentioning it.

    Any thoughts regarding these two situations as far as cause or if you have had similar problems would be great...I had already mentioned the latter in a prior thread but noone answered so may just be me!!! :)
    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
    __________________________________________



    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Negative Zero, Minus Zero

    Mike

    Sounds more like a round off problem that happens internally in some calculations.

    I'll bet if you extend the decimal places to 14 or 15 you'll see some unexpected little digits appearing out there.....
    Al Buchholz
    Bookwood Systems, LTD
    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

    Occam's Razor - KISS
    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
    Albert Einstein

    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Negative Zero, Minus Zero

      Hi Al ! Thanks for the direction on this as I now at least have a work-a-round for who knows what the actual cause is.....but you'd lose the bet!! :)

      I used the maximum of 14 decimal places and all were zeros on every field and calculated value--no unexpected digits found.

      By using the round function with 2 decimal places around the offending calculated field equation it now works as it should.

      So you were right and still lost the bet! LOL


      Thanks again.
      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

        #4
        Re: Negative Zero, Minus Zero

        Originally posted by MikeC View Post
        So you were right and still lost the bet! LOL
        Which is why I don't bet the ponies or doggies...

        It's an age old problem of computers converting an integer to a real and back to an integer.. Some day they'll get it right....
        Al Buchholz
        Bookwood Systems, LTD
        Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

        Occam's Razor - KISS
        Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
        Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
        When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
        "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
        Albert Einstein

        http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

        Comment

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