Why does my Acrobat X Pro debugger complain this script?

[Softterrier]

My Javascript code for calculating a value from a specific date difference the debugger complains with no understandable reasons.

E.g. "GetFullYear is not a function" although These are normal Javascript functions.

This is the code:

var PastDate = this.getField("Datum1").value;

var jetzt = new Date();

PastDate = PastDate.split(".");

var DateDiff = jetzt.GetFullYear()-PastDate[2] + 12*(jetzt.GetMonth() - PastDate[1]);

this.getField("€_2").value = DateDiff / 12 * this.getField("Prozent1").value / 100 * this.getField("€").value;

Could anybody inform me please what is wrong at the script and where I can find a suiting documentation to easily build such scripts?

Cause the Adobe Javasript API Acrobat DC SDK Documentation  does not really help.

Thank you very much.

[JR Boulay]

GetFullYear is not the same than getFullYear.

JavaScript is case sensitive.

You will have the same issue with GetMonth, etc.

[Softterrier]

Oh yes, thank you VERY much.

I was not aware of that.

The debugger also complained the split function. So I assumed that the problem is much bigger.

But now this works fine as well.

Thank you again!!

[George_Johnson]

Just a tip: If you're going to be using a field value as a string (e.g., by using string methods with it), you should get the field value using the valueAsString property, as opposed to the value property. It's just a good habit to get into.

[try67]

Another tip to all script writers out there: If you want to use the value of a field in a calculation, always convert it explicitly into a number, by using the Number object constructor. For example:

Number(this.getField("FieldName").valueAsString)

This is especially important if you add values, as the "+" operator has a double function: When used for numbers it adds them up, as expected, but when used for strings it concatenates them, so if either one of the values added is actually a string, the result will be a concatenated string. For example:

1 + 1 = 2

1 + "1" = "11"

"1" + 1 = "11"

"1" + "1" = "11"

[Softterrier]

Thank you again!

Actually I had this kind of problem at last but your tipp didn't help.

This was my code:

var startDate = Number(this.getField("Datum1").valueAsString);     // 01.08.2017

var endDate = Number(this.getField("Datum1b").valueAsString);     // 08.04.2018

startDate = startDate.split(".");    

endDate = endDate.split(".");

var DateDiff = 12*(endDate[2]-startDate[2]) + endDate[1]-startDate[1];     // =1096

In fact you had to put the last substraction into brackets to get the right result 8!!

var startDate = this.getField("Datum1").valueAsString;                    // 01.08.2017

var endDate = this.getField("Datum1b").valueAsString;                   // 08.04.2018

startDate = startDate.split(".");

endDate = endDate.split(".");

var DateDiff = 12*(endDate[2]-startDate[2]) + (endDate[1]-startDate[1]);     // =8

[George_Johnson]

You should only convert it to a number if you're going to use it as a number. In your script, you're using the field value as a string, so you shouldn't use the Number function.

[try67]

Date strings (like "01.08.2017") are not numbers, so you should not use the Number constructor on them...

[Softterrier]

Yes, that's clear to me.

But that still doesn't explain why I need that last bracket. mathematically it is NOT necessary at all!!

I needed some time to find out that this is the script's problem...

The type conversion does not seem to work properly here. The '+* seems to work as a concatenation. Means that the splitted arrays have not been handled as numbers but still as strings!...

If you write:

var DateDiff = 12*(endDate[2]-startDate[2]) + Number(endDate[1])-Number(startDate[1]);

or even this...

var DateDiff = 12*(endDate[2]-startDate[2]) + Number(endDate[1])-startDate[1];

...it works fine also without those brackets...

So this is somehow logical.

That the brackets work instead as well is strange, isn't it?...

[try67]

Yes, the split method returns an array of strings, ​not numbers or anything else.

[Softterrier]

But then again: Why do the brackets help?...

[try67]

I'm not sure which brackets you're referring to now...

[Softterrier]

I ment the brackets at ...(endDate[1]-startDate[1]);

Please check some messages before. I mentioned that already at 01.08.2018 12:15. 😉

[try67]

The reason is that the minus operator converts the strings to numbers first, while the plus operator doesn't.

So if you try to compute this:

12*("08"-"02")+"05"-"04"

It will not work correctly (the result will be "7201"), because the moment you use the "+" operator on a string, the result will be a string as well, but if you use it like this:

12*("08"-"02")+("05"-"04")

Then it will work correctly (the result will be 73), because you're using the "+" operator only on numbers.

Bottom line, you should always convert your strings into numbers explicitly.