concatenation operator

[gymbeef]

When doing string concatenation, is there any practical difference between using + versus & ?
Anytime one should prefer one over the other, or not use one or the other?

thanks

 

[scriverb]

The Ampersand(&) is defined as:
Used to force string concatenation of two expressions.

While the Addition(+) sign has numerious functions. It can be the same as Ampersand if both expressions are strings. Here are a couple of combinations and the way the operator acts:

String & String = cancatenation
String + String = cancatenation
Numeric + Numeric = addition
Numeric + Variant = addition

See ACCESS Help for the + operator for a complete definition of the other possibilities.

Bob Scriver

Nobody believes the official spokesman... but everybody trusts an unidentified source.
Author, Bagdad Bob???

 

[mpastore]

Hey gym,

Here's a basic difference:

?"01" + 1
yields: 2

?"01" & 1
yields 011

Looks like the "+" operator will attempt a data conversion with a prejudice to numeric, while "&" will do the same for string. Could make for some interesting bugs in a program.

I always use & for string concats.

Mike Pastore

Hats off to (Roy) Harper

 

[danvlas]

In addition:

String & Null = String
String + Null = Null

You can use a combination if you have a primary and an optional secondary value to display a separator (such a line) between the values or just the primary value (without the separator) if secondary value does not exist.

PrimaryValue & ("-" + SecondaryValue)


HTH



Daniel Vlas
Systems Consultant

http://www.geocities.com/danvlas/AutoMail.html