Coverting and validating FLOAT does not work

[Gawan]

Hi,

I have a global variable of datatype float.
I read this float in a function, do an explicit convert to float (just to be safe) and write my msg3.FloatValue with it:

msg3.Measure = 'Actual_Power_OUT';
msg3.StorageType = 'Keep';
msg3.FloatValue = parseFloat(global.get('AMIS.Strom_Einspeisung.Watt'));

In the next step I try to validate if the value (it is 0) is a float value.

if ((msg3.FloatValue || 99999.0) != 99999.0)
{
    msg.head = "do something";
    msg.body = "do something nice with " +msg.FloatValue;
}

But unfortunately it never steps into this IF. It seems that 0 compared to != 99999.0 gives false and I do ot understand why

Do you ?
BR
Gawi

[E1cid]

if msg3.FloatValue equals 0 or null
Then (msg3.FloatValue || 99999.0) returns 99999.0

[knolleary]

@Gawan

In the next step I try to validate if the value (it is 0) is a float value.

if ((msg3.FloatValue || 99999.0) != 99999.0)

The problem is your use of the || operator. If msg3.FloatValue has a value of 0, then the expression in the if statement becomes:

if (( 0 || 99999.0) != 99999.0)

0 has a "false-like" value, which means the || operator will return the right-hand side - in this case 99999.0. So the expression becomes: (99999.0 != 99999.0)

[Gawan]

but why ?
shouldn't it compare 0 to 99999.0 and go into the IF clause ? (because of the IS NOT comparison)

is there a way to convert "0" into a valid float with value 0 ?

[E1cid]

@knolleary explains it, 0 is a false like value, so the || returns the true value.
Try

if (msg3,FloatValue === 0 || (msg3.FloatValue || 99999.0) != 99999.0)

[Steve-Mcl]

Assuming msg3.FloatValue is ZERO...

if ((msg3.FloatValue || 99999.0) != 99999.0)

is the same as

if ((0 || 99999.0) != 99999.0)

is the same as

if (99999.0 != 99999.0)

[Gawan]

is there a way to use 0 as a valid float so that I can compare with it ?

[knolleary]

JavaScript doesn't really have the concept of floats and integers - they are all just numbers and can all be compared freely.

The parseInt/parseFloat functions are convenience functions for getting a number that may or may not have a decimal component.

In your code, you do:

msg3.FloatValue = parseFloat(global.get('AMIS.Strom_Einspeisung.Watt'));

That means msg3.FloatValue will be a number type you can compare to any other number you want.

So the if statement you want can be:

if (msg3.FloatValue != 99999.0)

The problems you are hitting are due to your use of || - which you don't need here at all.

[Gawan]

@knolleary

That means msg3.FloatValue will be a number type you can compare to any other number you want.

So the if statement you want can be:

if (msg3.FloatValue != 99999.0)

The problems you are hitting are due to your use of || - which you don't need here at all.

The problem is, that quite often the msg3.FloatValue does not have a value, so its NULL oder NaN
For these cases I made the || workaround.

Is there another way to check if the variable has a valid value at all ?

[knolleary]

You can use the isNaN function - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/isNaN