Number
A numerical value. If no default value is specified, a Number type defaults to the value 0 (zero). User attributes of Number type may be configured, at first creation, as 'sequential'.
A sequential number attribute is like a database counter field, where the next unused number is issued and values no longer used are not re-issued; i.e. the next number is always higher than the last. Sequential numbers start at 1. When a new sequential attribute is added to an existing document, the already-created notes are initialised with sequential values of the new attribute, starting with the the first notes in $OutlineOrder sequence. Thereafter notes are numbered in the order added, regardless of $OutlineOrder.
Very large or small numbers may be displayed (and set) in exponential notation:
0.000001 = 1e-06
$MyNumber = 1.2e+3 sets '1200'
When very large or small number strings are typed into a Displayed Attributes box the result may be '0', in which case use exponential notation.
The Displayed Attributes display will also truncate the number of decimal places shown. The display limits seem to be:
- Whole (non decimal) numbers will display up to 9 digits, i.e. between between -999999999 and 999999999.
- Numbers over 1, positive or negative, will display 6 digits e.g. 150.123 or 1.12346.
- Numbers over 1, positive or negative, will display 6 decimal places e.g. 0.0.12345.
When typing/pasting in number values to a KA box the input value is stored and not the rounded/truncated visible value. To see the decimal places in full coerce the value to a string, e.g. set a string attribute to the value of the number attribute. Beware that values copied from a Displayed Attributes display box use the visible value and not the real underlying value, so passing the number to a string and reading the latter is useful if data fidelity is required.