ERROR: Cannot use format ':.2f' on Number variables like ${GAIN} (value=1,130094)

[TinQuen22Fr]

Hello,

Allsky service stop with error.

Can you help me for resolve this problem. Thank you.

[TinQuen22Fr]

support-4484-20250402225839.zip

[EricClaeys]

@TinQuen22Fr ,
First, thanks for using the new Getting Support page to submit your question. It helps us help you.

Go into the "Overlay Editor" in the WebUI and double click on the GAIN field. Next to the "Format" field is a ?. Click on it to show all the ways you can format a number.

The :.2F format assumes the number (GAIN in this case) uses a period for the decimal point. Your country uses a comma, which you can see in (value=1,130094).
There is a format for numbers that contain commas. I forget what it is, but cloae that dialog box and change the "Format" field to it. Save the overlay and the problem should be gone.

@Alex-developer, will the next release handle this more gracefully? Does the format that uses the Locale work for numbers with periods in them? If so, should that be the default?
Another user had the same question a couple days ago.

[TinQuen22Fr]

@EricClaeys

Hello,

Following your response, I found the solution to resolve my problem. Indeed, before seeing your response, I had looked at the place you mentioned and tested different combinations to find a solution.

The only two working solutions that finally allowed me to remove this error are: deleting all formatting parameters, on the second line, however although this no longer generated an error message, I had a value with lots of numbers after the ".". The second solution was found and tested after browsing this publication on the net :

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1823058/how-to-print-a-number-using-commas-as-thousands-separators

As well as clicking as you indicate on the "?".

By adding the comma in the formatting parameters, this indicates that it must be used in the value displayed for the gain, as well as two digits after it, which gives the following setting : {:,.2f}.

This value seems to indicate that regardless of the language setting in the "locale" parameter, the "." is actually the "","" of the decimal value, and that it is "." that must be used instead of the "","" and with 2 digits after it.

Result :

I actually found a similar question while searching the net and on the repository, where the person changed the language settings in order to solve their problem and have the correct interpretation of the "," but I'm not sure if it's a good idea for Bernay to change this setting just to have a correct interpretation of it.

Thank you for your response following my report through the new module added to the configuration page of the AllSky camera installed, and I hope that this additional information concerning what I have done and found as a solution to my problem following your referral, will provide solutions to other people encountering this type of problem and this error.

[EricClaeys]

This value seems to indicate that regardless of the language setting in the "locale" parameter, the "." is actually the "","" of the decimal value, and that it is "." that must be used instead of the "","" and with 2 digits after it.

Setting the Locale to one that uses a comma for the decimal point causes a few numbers, like GAIN and most numbers in the log file, to use commas. However, most numbers still use a period for the decimal point, which only confuses things. Ideally EVERY number would use a comma, but to do so will take a lot of effort.

I recently changed Allsky to accept the GAIN with, or without a comma. When it's there, you need to format the GAIN differently. I looked at some Python documentation and it doesn't handle commas in numbers very well - the formatting options are limited. I am not sure the best way for Allsky to handle this.