*
An
integer if the left-hand operator is an
integer and the right-hand operand is either an
integer or can be coerced to an
integer (for example, 3.0 can be coerced to 3);
otherwise a real. Finally, if both operands are
integers but the result will exceed the numerical limit of an
integer type (536,870,911 to -536,870,911), than
the return result is a real.
The multiplication operator is used to multiply two integers, two
reals, or an integer and a
real. The return result is an
integer or a real, depending on
the factors explained in the previous paragraph. The lessons that you
learned in your early math classes apply to this operator as well;
AppleScript will evaluate a multiplication expression before it will
evaluate addition or subtraction. For example, the expression 10 + 7
* 5 results in 45, not 85.
You can multiply a number times a
string if the string looks like
a number. AppleScript first coerces the
string to an integer or
real (depending on whether the
string has a decimal point), and then performs the
multiply operation.
10 + 7 * 5 -- results in 45 not 85; (10 + 7) * 5 results in 85 set aNum to 10 * 3.0 (* aNum is an integer type, because left-hand operand is an integer and right-hand operand can be coerced to an integer *) set aNum to 10.0 * 3.0 -- aNum is a real type set aNum to 30000000 * 20 (* aNum is a real, because the result exceeds the storage capacity of an integer, even though both operands are integers *) set aNum to 10 * "4.1" (* aNum is a real; a string like "4.1" is a valid operand if it can be coerced to a number *)