Silly question: Compare String with Integer

[oliver_am]

Hello, Ok, I know this is a really newbie question but I cannot find a solution...

Why this code is returning false?

REPORT ztest.

DATA:
  string1 TYPE string,
  string2 TYPE string,
  integer TYPE int4 VALUE '15'.

string1 = '15'.
string2 = integer.

IF string1 = string2. "integer
  WRITE: 'True'.
ELSE.
  WRITE: 'False'.
ENDIF.

I need to compare a value in a string with the same value in an integer...

SAP_ABAP 701 cannot use any new features of abap syntaxis... (conv,etc...)

Thanks !

[oliver_am]

Strings containing numbers may be formatted different. ABAP puts the sign of an integer as additional character at the end of the text when converting integers to text. A string will keep this space character so you are comparing '15' and '15 ' which is not the same.

I would always use a number conversion when treating strings as integers such as

try.
  if conv i( string1 ) = conv i( string2 ).

(...)

[AndyBoolean]

Hi oliver.am,

What is the value in the variable "string2" at runtime?

[oliver_am]

This values

[Dominik_Tylczynski]

Hello oliver.am

Check the report under debugger and examine the values of STRING1 and STRING2 variables. It's evident why the comparison yields FALSE:

STRING2 is 3 chars long and differs from STRING1 by the trailing SPACE.

Why don't you compare integers instead of strings, e.g.:

DATA:
  string TYPE string,
  integer1 TYPE int4 VALUE '15',
  integer2 type int4.

string = '15'.
CATCH SYSTEM-EXCEPTIONS CONVT_NO_NUMBER = 1.
  integer2 = string.
ENDCATCH.

IF integer1 = integer2 and sy-subrc <> 1. "integer
  WRITE: 'True'.
ELSE.
  WRITE: 'False'.
ENDIF.

Best regards

Dominik Tylczynski

[oliver_am]

Thanks for answer. I didnt see any trailing space in the debugger... but it seems that there are one space ...

Why is added this space ??

with condense no-gaps is working fine now.
I cannot use your solution because in my real program the string2 not always contain a number... I can use CS '01234... by the moment i can continue with this, thaks

[jrgkraus]

Strings containing numbers may be formatted different. ABAP puts the sign of an integer as additional character at the end of the text when converting integers to text. A string will keep this space character so you are comparing '15' and '15 ' which is not the same.

I would always use a number conversion when treating strings as integers such as

try.
  if conv i( string1 ) = conv i( string2 ).

(...)

[touzik_itc]

Two variables can be compared directly. This code returns 'True':

IF string1 = integer.
  WRITE: 'True'.
ELSE.
  WRITE: 'False'.
ENDIF.

If you need to compare two strings, you could add CONDENSE to trim a trailing space.

CONDENSE string2.
IF string1 = string2. "integer
  WRITE: 'True'.
ELSE.
  WRITE: 'False'.
ENDIF.

An assignment integer values to stings always uses the commercial notation. That is why an to assign and compare is not the same as to compare with an implicit conversion:

... "The value of the integer is formatted in commercial notation and passed, without gaps and without decimal separators, to the target field. The character "-" is set in the last place for a negative value and a blank is set for a positive value. The resulting length of the target field is determined by the number of digits plus the place for the sign." ...

[RaymondGiuseppi]

You can find the conversion rule in the Abap online documentation, here: numeric to character type fields: Character-Like Target Fields

[JackGraus]

Next to converting into integer you might convert into correct string:

string1 = '15'.
string2 = condense( string1 ).
IF string1 = string2. "integer
  WRITE: 'True'.
ELSE.
  WRITE: 'False'.
ENDIF.