# Unexpected Format Expression Behavior **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** ignition81\ **Created:** [June 28, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650 "2023-06-28T14:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lrose](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/lrose/32/62724_2.png) [@lrose](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/lrose)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/1 "2023-06-28T14:36:50Z")
Would someone check me on this? Ignition Version 8.1.24. When adding a format transform using a pattern with the % symbol the value is automatically multiplied by 100. I would expect the return to just be the pattern with the % tacked on. Is/was this a bug that’s been addressed am I just can’t find reference to it, or is it expected behavior?? ---
**Author:** ![djs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@djs](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/djs)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/2 "2023-06-28T14:47:38Z")
Same behavior on 8.1.20: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/4/4/44ef0ecd24c0cd3cfb99d6fc11e6d18ec572d59a.png) Not sure if it's a bug, but I agree, it's not what I would expect... ---
**Author:** ![pascal.fragnoud](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pascal.fragnoud/32/24728_2.png) [@pascal.fragnoud](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pascal.fragnoud)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/3 "2023-06-28T14:51:49Z")
Oh, yea, I encountered that before ! Made me go "huh ?" ---
**Author:** ![avaughn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/avaughn/32/38972_2.png) [@avaughn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/avaughn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/4 "2023-06-28T14:51:54Z")
This is expected behavior. The user manual page on [Format Transforms](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Format+Transform) provides an example of the formatting that gets applied when using %. ---
**Author:** ![lrose](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/lrose/32/62724_2.png) [@lrose](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/lrose)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/5 "2023-06-28T15:08:47Z")
I’ll accept that, but just seems a bit of an odd choice to me, especially considering you can select the Percent format, which I would expect to have this behavior. Oh well now I know. ---
**Author:** ![pascal.fragnoud](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pascal.fragnoud/32/24728_2.png) [@pascal.fragnoud](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pascal.fragnoud)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/6 "2023-06-28T15:11:21Z")
That doc page talks about the `percent` format for numeric types, not about putting a `%` sign in a pattern format. That behavior is highly unintuitive. ---
**Author:** ![avaughn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/avaughn/32/38972_2.png) [@avaughn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/avaughn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/7 "2023-06-28T15:23:34Z")
I'll admit, I did read through the OP a bit too quickly. However, checking the [formatting reference](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Data+Type+Formatting+Reference) page in the user manual also indicates the behavior is expected. Edit: Also, the last example in the table shows the pattern that should be used to not multiply the input by 100. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/b/f/bf7ff4acac65c8465165ca856944c628ee11ed98.png) ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/8 "2023-06-28T16:28:09Z")
> [@pascal.fragnoud](#): > > That behavior is highly unintuitive. Take it up with Java: [https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.base/java/text/DecimalFormat.html](https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.base/java/text/DecimalFormat.html) | Symbol | Location | Localized? | Meaning | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `0` | Number | Yes | Digit | | `#` | Number | Yes | Digit, zero shows as absent | | `.` | Number | Yes | Decimal separator or monetary decimal separator | | `-` | Number | Yes | Minus sign | | `,` | Number | Yes | Grouping separator | | `%` | Prefix or suffix | Yes | Multiply by 100 and show as percentage | ---
**Author:** ![pascal.fragnoud](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pascal.fragnoud/32/24728_2.png) [@pascal.fragnoud](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pascal.fragnoud)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/9 "2023-06-28T16:29:23Z")
> [@paul-griffith](#): > > Take it up with Java: I tried to call them but it somehow multiplied the phone number by 42. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 5:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/unexpected-format-expression-behavior/75650/10 "2023-06-28T17:09:15Z")
> [@pascal.fragnoud](#): > > I tried to call them but it somehow multiplied the phone number by 42. That should have still yielded an answer (the _answer_). 😁