[solved]Problem with calculations with negative numbers taken from text file

[vulcan4d]

EDIT: this has been solved and was an issue with the negative character.  See the reply below.

 

I'm having an issue with AutoIT unable to make proper calculations when extracting the numbers from a text file.  Granted these come in as string but I thought using the Number() command would resolve it.  I'll paste the script code that is relevant but here is what I'm doing:

-Two text files exist (filecurrent, fileprevious), they have the same information in the exact same place however the value amounts can be different.

-All I need to figure out is whether each value increases or decreases. 

So far the outcome is all over the place and is only valid when the numbers are positive.  If they are negative it is either inverse or tells me the values are the same when they are actually not.

 

The code below simply imports both files into arrays called $cArray and $pArray

    FileOpen($filecurrent, 0)
    _FileReadToArray($filecurrent,$cArray)
    FileClose($filecurrent)
    FileOpen($fileprevious, 0)
    _FileReadToArray($fileprevious,$pArray)
    FileClose($fileprevious)

The code below calls the function to extract the value from the Array.  I'll spare you the function but it looks for a word and extracts the numbers that follow after.  I've confirmed that this exacts the numbers correctly (no spaces or extra characters).  Numbers can be either negative or positive.

    Global $find_price = searcharray($price,$cArray);
    Global $pfind_price = searcharray($price,$pArray);
    Global $pricedir = calcdir(Number($pfind_price),Number($find_price));

Then I run it through a simple calculation to determine the direction, up or down

Func calcdir($previous,$current)
    If $previous > $current Then
        Local $updown = "down";
    ElseIf $previous < $current Then
        Local $updown = "up";
    ElseIf $previous = $current Then
        Local $updown = "steady";
    Else
        Local $updown = "n/a";
    EndIf
    Return $updown;
EndFunc

 

The result for $pricedir is not what I expected.  When the numbers are positive everything works great however when they are negative it is either inverse result or it tells me the values are the same (in this case I call it "steady").  As an example it may say that coming from -0.5 to -0.3 is down or steady as an example when it's clearly an increase in value.

Any help is greatly appreciated.  I'm sure it's something simple that I'm missing.

Edited December 19, 2020 by vulcan4d

[Melba23]

vulcan4d,

I have just tested your function using Number to convert some trial positive and negative strings and everything works as expected. Could you please post the files concerned so we can take a look at exactly what you are extracting - I know you say the contents extract correctly, but there must be something which is leading to an incorrect conversion.

M23

[GokAy]

Maybe decimal symbol issue? , vs .
 

[vulcan4d]

Here I am bashing my head why the code doesn't work and it ends up being a character issue.  The files generated are using the wrong negative character.  I realized it when pasting into Scite.  Typically a - symbol shows up as red however when I pasted the negative number it was black.  This indicated right away that it was not a negative character but something else even though it looks exactly the same in Notepad.  As you can see below the top number I took from the file and the below number is after I changed the - character to what it should be.  It's all working now after I get the script to swap the character.  I appreciate the helping hand!

−25.00
-25.00

 

[Melba23]

vulcan4d,

Glad you found the problem.

M23

[JockoDundee]

3 hours ago, Melba23 said:

Number

Is there some hidden meaning to the infixed italic isolani?  
 

[jchd]

@vulcan4d,

Your − sign is the Unicode codepoint U+2212 (Minus sign) and, as you found by yourself, isn't recognized in AutoIt which uses the more common - U+002D (Hyphen-Minus) just like many softwares and languages.

− use should be limited to smart math presentation. Similar issue exists with, for example,  ∕  U+2215 (Division slash) vs. / U+002F (Solidus) or ∗ U+2217 (Asterisk operator) vs. "usual" * U+002A (Asterisk).

EDIT: previous post is an error but a bug and I can't edit it for some unknown reason.

Edited December 19, 2020 by Melba23
Previous post deleted

[Melba23]

JockoDundee,

No.

M23