The value entered does not match the format of the field

[IndiErst]

Please help! I am fairly new with using adobe and creating javascript equations. I have run into the error that many new user have, the dreaded "The value entered does not match the format of the field" pop-up. This only occurs when the value answer is 0... 

I am creating a till balance form for a retail company, so having that 0 value show is important and fairly frequent, as you want the till to show 0 variance. 

Here are the columns Cash(Counted) = AMCash
Cash on Shift Report = AMPOSCash 

For the Cash +/- I have a Simplified Field Notation set as AMCash-AMPOSCash 
The format is Number to the second decimal point, which I need since we are talking money.
It does the math just fine, but I meet an error when the total is 0 for that column. 

I have spent so long on trying to get this to function properly. Please help me if you can!!! Thank you! 

[Bernd Alheit]

This example is wrong.

[IndiErst]

Okay Bernd, do you have a proper solution then? 

[Bernd Alheit]

Where does you use a division?

[IndiErst]

I don't. 

[Thom Parker]

Here is an article on this very topic. It includes possible fixes:

https://www.pdfscripting.com/public/Value-Entered-Does-Not-Match-Format.cfm?sd=40

[IndiErst]

Thank you- I've been looking at this but I'm afraid I don't quite have the javascript knowledge to create my own customized scripting. 😞 

[IndiErst]

Could you help me? Looking at this site was like reading another language. 

[Bernd Alheit]

There is no calculation at the field.

[IndiErst]

I reattached... here it is again, not sure why it isn't showing but this definitely has the calculation. 

[IndiErst]

thank you for looking. 

[try67]

You now have two overlapping fields, one called "AM Cash Variance" and one "AM Cash +/-"...

Both with the same calculation, but it's not good practice. Still, the only errors I'm getting are:

TypeError: f is null

There's nothing about the format being incorrect, as expected.

[Bernd Alheit]

I get also f is null.

[IndiErst]

Really not sure how you both are getting different error messages than me. This is when I am out of preview/edit mode and accessing the form like someone with standard access. 

@try67 @Bernd Alheit 

[try67 · Accepted solution]

OK, now that you've (finally) provided a concrete example I was able to reproduce it.

This is happening due to a rounding issue. The value of "AMCash" is not really 91.58, but 91.58000000000001. And when you subtract 91.58 from that you get this value in "AM Cash Variance": 1.4210854715202004e-14

This value can't be shown by the Number format, which causes the error. You would have seen all of this if you had just removed the Number format from your fields.

Anyway, the solution is to round the results of your calculations. To do so you would need to use a script.

For example, for AMCash you can use the following:

var v1 = Number(this.getField("BTotal").valueAsString);
var v2 = Number(this.getField("ATotal").valueAsString);
event.value = (v1-v2).toFixed(2);