Random number as text is real

AppleScript
#1

This is odd, and I can easily work around it, but if I run this appleScript

random number from 1 to 1000 as text
-->105.245017168454

The result isn’t text, it’s a real.

It’s easy to avoid with parens (below) but I’m just not sure why it’s doing that.

The values are between 1 and 1000 so it’s seeing that number.

(random number from 1 to 1000) as text
-->"551"
#2

I guess the your first example is interpreted like this:

random number from 1 to (1000 as text)

As for the explanation I’m not 100% sure, but you’re calling the function random number with two parameters from and to. Each parameter is parsed as an expression. Hence it combines 1000 with as text.

I got the function syntax from ScriptDebugger (Window > Dictionary, select Scripting Additions, and search for random number):

FUNCTION SYNTAX
set theResult to random number number ¬
     from number ¬
     to number ¬
     with seed integer
1 Like
#3

random number only returns an integer if its direct parameter’s an integer or if both the from and to parameters are integers. My guess is that although (1000 as text) is probably coerced back to an integer for the number value, it’s not an integer at the point where its class is tested.

#4

OK, thanks, I thing I understand it now
AppleScript normally text to integer (not real).

set myNum to (1000 as text) as number
-->1000
class of myNum
-->>integer

Even this:

set myNum to (1000.0 as text) as number
-->1000
class of myNum
-->>integer

So this is an odd behavior of the random number command.

#5

Maybe you’re going to quick there. AppleScript’s number conversion is smart, and converts to integer when it can, and otherwise it converts to real:

set myNum to 123.4 as text
log myNum -->"123.4" (locale depending)
log class of myNum --> text

set myNum to myNum as number
log myNum --> 123.4
log class of myNum --> real