Problem, get a result of a calculation to two decimal places.

[CAsba]

Hi,
It seems to be impossible to set the output of a calculation to 2 decimal places.
I have tried both

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divide field "packprice" by fld "usualquantity"
     put format("%.2f",fld "packprice")
   put fld "packprice" into fld "cost"

and

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 divide field "packprice" by fld "usualquantity"
set the numberformat to "0.00"
        put fld "packprice" into fld "cost"

that I gleaned ftrom previous topics, but neither work.
Any ideas ?

[Klaus]

I never compute FIELDS directly, so maybe this is not supported?
Put their content into variables and try again.

Code: Select all

divide field "packprice" by fld "usualquantity"
set the numberformat to "0.00"

Hint:
You need to set the numberformat BEFORE doing your calculation,
since it will affect only the result of a mathematical operation.

However this does not always work so I now always use the format thing:
format("%.2f",a_variable)

[CAsba]

Hi Klaus,
Many thanks for your quick response.
I tried

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ask "Enter the quantity in the pack purchased"
   put it into quant
   ask " Enter the cost of the pack purchased"titled (fld "fieldboxtitle" of cd "template1")
   put it into cost   
   put format("%.2f",cost)
   put cost/quant into fld "cost"
   --   divide cost by quant
   --   put cost into fld "cost"
   #put it into fld "cost"
   exit mouseup

(the commente out bits I also tried)
and the field "cost" remains a 6 decimal place figure.

[Klaus]

Hi CAsba,

you need to "format" the last result, too!

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...
ask "Enter the quantity in the pack purchased"
put it into quant
ask " Enter the cost of the pack purchased"titled (fld "fieldboxtitle" of cd "template1")
put it into cost   
## put format("%.2f",cost)
## Or use this directly in FORMAT:
put format("%.2f",cost/quant) into fld "cost"
exit mouseup
...

Best

Klaus

[CAsba]

That's great, Klaus. Many, many thanks.

[dunbarx]

CAsba.

Formatting aside, you cannot divide a field by another field. I assume your intent was to have the value in field "packPrice", after being divided by fld "usualquantity", being replaced back into that field? Though I see your thinking, that is outside the scope of LC syntax.

I would have:

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  set the numberformat to "0.00"
  put fld "packPrice" / fld "usualquantity" into field "packPrice"

Do you see how this is more "standard"?

Craig

[CAsba]

Hi Craig,
Gottit ! Many thanks.

[stam]

Formatting aside, you cannot divide a field by another field

Hi Craig,
I'm not sure that's correct - you can certainly divide (or do any other calculation) with directly wit fields. Quick test: in a new stack add 2 fields and put numbers into them. If you put "field 1 / field 2" in the message box you get the correct calculation.

Regarding formatting - wasn't clear if the OP needed exactly 2 decimals (in which case agree with the above), or up to 2 decimals (i.e 3, 3.1, 3.11) - if up to two decimals then surely it's simpler to use the round function

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round(<number>, <precision>)

is it not?

S.

[dunbarx]

Stam.

We agree, you just don't know it yet.

put "field 1 / field 2" in the message box

I am cutting you some syntactical slack here because I know you just a little bit.

That is not what the OP originally tried to do. He tried to divide fld 1 by fld 2. Just and only exactly that. Bad syntax, though, as I said, I understood his thinking.

Craig

[stam]

Actually the syntax is correct - or at least works for me.

If I create a new stack and add 2 fields, put '4' into field 1 and '2' into field 2 then putting this statement into the msgbox

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divide field 1 by field 2

changes the value of field 1 accordingly. So it does work, but the differences is the value is directly put into to the container that is being divided, whereas field 1 / field 2 can be put into a variable or wherever.

[dunbarx]

Stam.

I hate LC.

I KNOW I tried this, and it did not work. But now it does.

Craig

[dunbarx]

And I am glad it does, I guess. The syntax seems sound on the face of it. When I (really, really) tried it a couple of days ago, neither field changed, so i assumed it was just not the way LC syntax works. In other words, fields are not variables, even though they are containers.

I bet Scotland changed it yesterday.

Craig