you will get the value 0.5 in cells C3 and D3 and the value 1 in cells D3 and D4.
You are lucky guys.
On systems using the comma as decimal delimiter (French setting for instance),
we get 0.5 (yes a period) in C3, the infamous red triangle in cell D3, 0,5 (yes, a comma) in cell C4 and 1 in cell D4.
The red triangle is a logical result because the app is unable to apply the multiplication operator to the value 0.5
Of course, no need to explain that when it coerce a real to a text object,
AppleScript uses the local decimal delimiter
so that the 'English' real 0.5 becomes the 'French' string "0,5"
which is deciphered by Numbers as the 'French' real 0,5
Expected Results:
If I make no error, Numbers would be able to treat correctly reals passed by AppleScript without the text coercion in every localized versions.
So I assumed that I would get the value 1 in cells D3 and D3 as I get on an English system..
Actual Results:
The passed real keep its decimal period so, it's deciphered as a string when whe are supposed to receive a number.
Regression:
My workaround (used since ClarisWorks 4, ClarisWorks/AppleWorks 5, AppleWorks 6 and Numbers '09) is to coerce the real as a string before passing it to Numbers.
In fact as the describe behaviour is striking since 1995, I assumed that it was a feature.
But today, two AppleScript gurus told me that I was wrong and that it's definitely a bug.
So, I hope that you will be able to kill this 15 years old Apple bug.
I wrote about Numbers but of course, the problem is the same in Keynote and Pages.
(PS 1) Maybe this report will duplicate.
It seems that something failed when I sent it two minutes ago.
(PS 2) I attached my system description but the problem strikes on every machine when the system uses the decimal comma !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(PS 3) You are funny guys.
It was you which urged me to attach my system description when I posted my report.
No need to shout in red when YOU fail !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) mardi 8 juin 2010 15:31:01