Is the 'Format' command broken or the help for it?

[webu]

Please try this example:

OpenW 1, , , 100, 150
AutoRedraw = True
SetFont 16      // nonprop

'Examples from the help-Part for "Format()":

Print Format$(3.14, "###.###;;")    // "  3,14"         NO leading spaces! :-(
Print Format$(3.14, "###.##0;;")    // "  3,140"        NO leading spaces! :-(
Print Format$(3.14, "###.###**;;")  // "**3,14*"
Print Format(0.14, "###.###;;")     // "   ,14"         NO leading spaces! :-(
Print Format(0.14, "##0.##0;;")     // "  0,140"        NO leading spaces! :-(
Print Format(0.14, "###.###**;;")   // "***,14*"

' What is wrong? The command or the help?


Do you get leading spaces?

[dragonjim]

Interesting. My first instinct is to say that the help file is correct and GB32 is broken...

I will get back to you on this one.

[webu]

By the way, the Using command works as expected. Try this:


Message ">" + Using$("###,###", PI) + "<"   // ">  3,142<"

In this case I have to work with comma. With Format(), it has to be a decimal point for it to work.

I don't understand it and I have to try each time which command works like how I need it.

[dragonjim]

I am waiting for definite confirmation, but I think I may have got it the wrong way around: the help page is most likely wrong and GB32 is working correctly.

The reason I say this is, if you compare the help page with that for the Virtual Basic function Format() (here), you will notice that the text for most of the descriptions is almost word for word. This occurred a lot in the English help file and most occurrences should have been rooted out (SendKeys was the latest), but this one has obviously slipped through the net.

As I said, once I have confirmation, I will let you know and either GB32 or the help file will be updated.

[dragonjim]

It looks like I was correct in my second surmise: checking the old German Help File, this is the description of the # wild card:

# The hash (double cross, slatted cross, garden fence, number sign) stands as a placeholder for a number of the number to be formatted. The difference to 0 is that a 0 also outputs leading zeros (or trailing zeros after the decimal point), while # does not output a character (or the character after *).

The last bit is a bit unclear and should be read as: "while # does not output a character unless * is used and then the character following * is output instead.

In other words, relating to your initial query, to get spaces rather than null characters, output Format(3.14,"###.###* "). The example from the old German help file is below:

Print Format$(3.14, "###.###;;")
// prints aus 3,14")
Print Format$(3.14, "###.##0;;")
// prints aus 3,140")
Print Format$(3.14, "###.###**;;")
// prints aus **3,14*")
Print Format(0.14, "###.###;;")
// prints aus ,14")
Print Format(0.14, "##0.##0;;")
// prints aus 0,140")


Just as a after note, the Format command can also be used to create a string of a date or number. Hence Format(Date) prints the current date and Format(3) prints 3 as a string without the leading space.

A corrected Help File will be released soon...

...and as I am writing this, I have confirmation that this is the correct behaviour for GB32 when handling # in Format().

[(X)]

I kinda forgot about Print Using... Thanks for the reminder.

[dragonjim]

The new Format help page is now included in the latest Help file, downloadable from this forum page

[Roger Cabo]

Message ">" + Format("###,###", PI) + "<"   // ">  3,142<"
Message ">" + Using$("###,###", PI) + "<"   // ">  3,142<"
Unfortunately I can not get the old help file to work on my windows 10.
Any idea what this cause?

[dragonjim]

Message ">" + Format(PI, "###.###* ") + "<"   // ">  3,142<"
Message ">" + Using$("###,###", PI) + "<"   // ">  3,142<"

[dragonjim]

For a new version of the old German help file, see here

Please note: this has not been updated in the last 20+ years.

[Roger Cabo]

Nov 29, 2022 22:19:05 GMT 1 dragonjim said:

For a new version of the old German help file, see here

Please note: this has not been updated in the last 20+ years.

unfortunately the link is broken...

[(X)]

I found another Troy Cheek site: sites.google.com/site/troycheek/gfa-basic-32

I think the German Help File link is ok there.

[(X)]

For your information...

Troy Howard Cheek
June 10, 1967 - July 25, 2017

www.companionfunerals.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=2252366

From what I gather, he was a nice, funny, helpful and smart man.

[dragonjim]

He was a very nice man and a great contributor to the help file. I did wonder why I had not heard from him for a while...

[webu]

Where is the newest german help-file? Is there a newer one than Jan. 2016?

[dragonjim]

Not that I am aware. In 2016, I converted the old .hlp to .chm format so the 2016 file is just the old German Help File in a new format.