pilot-db-list

[pilot-db-list] calculations with linked fields as arguments?

[julio s. <jm...@ma...>]

Hi!

in a dbase, db2, like this:

field0: link to a key on db1
field1: linked (it shows the result of a calculated field on db1)
field2: (+ %1 5) <-- when i try something like this an error msg occurs 
- "bad argument for +"

So: are there any way to make calculations with linked fields as arguments?
something like (/ (+ %LinkedField1 %LinkedField2) 2)?

thanks a lot,

Julio

Re: [pilot-db-list] calculations with linked fields as arguments?

[Scott W. <swa...@my...>]

On Fri, 25 Apr 2003, julio sameiro wrote:

> Hi!
> 
> in a dbase, db2, like this:
> 
> field0: link to a key on db1
> field1: linked (it shows the result of a calculated field on db1)
> field2: (+ %1 5) <-- when i try something like this an error msg occurs 
> - "bad argument for +"



	Yes, in general, this won't work.  If the linked field is an 
integer, then you might be able to do something like:

	(+ (int %1) 5)

	the problem is that linked fields are viewed as strings, not their 
original data type, so you need to somehow convert them back to their 
original type.  I'd like to fix this problem at its root, but it would 
require a new database format, and it would be pretty hard to make it 
robust.

	-Scott

now i'm curious (Re: [pilot-db-list] calculations with linked fields as arguments?)

[julio s. <jm...@ma...>]

Hi!
Scott Wallace wrote:

>	(+ (int %1) 5)
>  
>
yep! it works, thanks.

>	the problem is that linked fields are viewed as strings, not their 
>original data type, so you need to somehow convert them back to their 
>original type.  I'd like to fix this problem at its root, but it would 
>require a new database format, and it would be pretty hard to make it 
>robust.
>
Now I' m curious.  Your explanation and solution seems good to me. I 
only desire to solve all software problems with that kind of rational 
and no adhoc solution! So - are there a real *problem*?
Sure, user have some work to do (writing 5 more characters :-) but now I 
believe that a good glance on doc files (blushing) would be enough. BTW 
-  I hope that such elucidation is already on docs because I believe 
that my attempt with linked fields is trivial... and lots of users 
appreciate documentation-for-dumbs (blushing again)
Thanks again,
Julio