8.8.15 Comparison operators (=, <>, <, <=, >, >=) (compare two expressions)

Purpose

Compares two expressions.

Syntax

Result = Expression1 comparison-operator Expression2

Arguments

Description

The comparison operators compare two expressions. Each operator returns a True or False result according to the following conditions:

= (equal)

True condition: Expression1 = Expression2

False condition: Expression1 <> Expression2

<> (not equal)

True condition: Expression1 <> Expression2

False condition: Expression1 = Expression2

< (less than)

True condition: Expression1 < Expression2

False condition: Expression1 >= Expression2

<= (less than or equal)

True condition: Expression1 <= Expression2

False condition: Expression1 > Expression2

> (greater than)

True condition: Expression1 > Expression2

False condition: Expression1 <= Expression2

>= (greater than or equal)

True condition: Expression1 >= Expression2

False condition: Expression1 < Expression2

The datatypes of the expressions determine the type of comparison performed and the result, as follows:

Condition	Operation performed
Both expressions are numeric datatypes.	Numeric comparison
Both expressions are string datatypes.	String comparison^#
One expression is a numeric datatype, and the other is a string datatype.	String comparison^#
One expression is an `Empty` value, and the other is a numeric datatype.	Numeric comparison with the `Empty` value taken as zero except in equality comparisons.
One expression is an `Empty` value, and the other is a string datatype.	String comparison with the `Empty` value taken as a zero-length string (`""`).^#
Both expressions are `Empty` values.	The two expressions are considered to be equal.

#

String comparison is performed in dictionary order.

Note that one-byte characters are not case sensitive.

JP1/Script version

Supported from JP1/Script 01-00.