# Error Value? **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** filemaker\ **Created:** [August 25, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669 "2023-08-25T02:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EdwinS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@EdwinS](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/EdwinS)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/1 "2023-08-25T02:21:43Z")
Has anyone found a description of the "?" returned by bad computations? I was surprised that an erroneous timestamp is bigger than a correct one? ![timestamps](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/a/ab82f276cb4718cf146f6386f1a9c987b9de19d2.png) ---
**Author:** ![Malcolm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/malcolm/32/196_2.png) [@Malcolm](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/Malcolm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 8:29am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/2 "2023-08-25T08:29:34Z")
It's big: Timestamp ( date("";"";"") ; time("";"";"") ) \> 10^99 // true ---
**Author:** ![bdbd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bdbd/32/620_2.png) [@bdbd](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/bdbd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/3 "2023-08-26T03:19:09Z")
An invalid timestamp returns ?, a text value. A valid timestamp returns a date-time value. FileMaker coerces the data to text when comparing both values because date-time values can be coerced into text but ? can't be coerced into a date-time. A date-time value coerced into text starts with a numeric character. A text value starting with ? is greater than a text value starting with a numeric character. There is a great article called [Working with data types in fields and comparisons](https://support.claris.com/s/answerview?anum=000036481&language=en_US) that touches on data conversion in the Claris Engineering Blog. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![EdwinS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@EdwinS](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/EdwinS)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/4 "2023-08-26T03:36:06Z")
Thanks @bdbd, but with your argumentation this should also return true? ![Bildschirmfoto 2023-08-26 um 05.32.37](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/0/0376c7b1ab957c02fe42664645700328ab9a5acc.png) ---
**Author:** ![EdwinS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@EdwinS](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/EdwinS)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 3:50am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/5 "2023-08-26T03:50:57Z")
One more: the MBS plugin classifies the "?" from timestamp() as number. IMHO this is a "basic function" missing from FileMaker. ![Bildschirmfoto 2023-08-26 um 05.46.43](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/2/26d365f42f4d6edf8f42b9f62a0e6774771c872e.png) ---
**Author:** ![Malcolm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/malcolm/32/196_2.png) [@Malcolm](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/Malcolm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/6 "2023-08-26T03:51:17Z")
"?" \> Get ( CurrentHostTimestamp ) ` --> false` "A" \> Get ( CurrentHostTimestamp ) ` --> true` ---
**Author:** ![Malcolm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/malcolm/32/196_2.png) [@Malcolm](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/Malcolm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 3:56am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/7 "2023-08-26T03:56:51Z")
Ask @MonkeybreadSoftware what the MBS plugin is doing. It may be seeing an error flag, and the associated error number. `EvaluationError ( Evaluate ( Timestamp ( Date ( ""; ""; "" ) ; Time ( "" ; "";"" ) ) ) ) returns 500` which is the error from the Date function being passed back. `Date value does not meet validation entry options` ---
**Author:** ![bdbd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bdbd/32/620_2.png) [@bdbd](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/bdbd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 4:06am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/8 "2023-08-26T04:06:51Z")
Quite right! Can you show us what datetimestamp() returns on your system? ---
**Author:** ![EdwinS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@EdwinS](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/EdwinS)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/9 "2023-08-27T13:50:56Z")
> [@bdbd](#): > > datetimestamp Sorry, what exactly do you want to see? ---
**Author:** ![bdbd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bdbd/32/620_2.png) [@bdbd](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/bdbd)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/10 "2023-08-27T14:15:54Z")
The result of Get (CurrentTimestamp) on your computer. ---
**Author:** ![EdwinS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@EdwinS](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/EdwinS)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/11 "2023-08-27T14:19:50Z")
> [@bdbd](#): > > Get (CurrentTimestamp) ![Bildschirmfoto 2023-08-27 um 16.18.37](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/6/64c07e520ca1051854ec8a5aff59fc2b643b538f.png) ---
**Author:** ![bdbd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bdbd/32/620_2.png) [@bdbd](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/bdbd)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/error-value/3669/12 "2023-08-27T15:53:38Z")
This took a bit of searching. It seems that FileMaker uses the sorting values instead of unicode values for each character when comparing two text strings. Interesting but difficult to predict unless you are well versed in sorting values as these are locale dependent. Why, then, is TimeStamp (Date (""; ""; ""); Time (""; ""; "")) \> any-number? I am now stumped.