Why am I getting a compile error when multiplying a decimal by a literal value?

Question

When I try to set the z variable in the code below, I get this compile time error:

Operator '*' cannot be applied to operands of type 'double' and 'decimal'

decimal x = 1, y = 2, z;

// There are two ways I set the z variable:
z = (x*y)*(.8 * 1.732050808m);
z = (1000 * x)/(y * 1.732050808m)* .8;

Why is that, and how do I solve it?

score 29 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 09 '23 at 00:57

29

Be sure to use .8m instead of .8.

edited Apr 09 '23 at 00:57

gunr2171

answered Dec 12 '08 at 18:31

Jimmy

Thank you for pointing that out. I was secretly hoping it wasn't that simple. : ) – tejas_grande Dec 12 '08 at 18:33
1

m forces the literal to be interpreted as a decimal. – Broam Dec 02 '09 at 16:32

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 12 '08 at 18:32

4

You didn't say which line it was, but I'm betting on these two:

z = (x*y)*(.8 * 1.732050808m);

And:

z = (1000 * x)/(y * 1.732050808m)* .8;

Note that your .8 does not have the 'm' qualifier. Every other place I see you did supply that.

answered Dec 12 '08 at 18:32

Harper Shelby

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 12 '08 at 18:32

3

In this line here:

z = (xy)(.8 * 1.732050808m);

you specify .8 as a literal, but without the 'm' suffix, the literal specifies a double.

z = (xy)(.8m * 1.732050808m);

will fix it.

answered Dec 12 '08 at 18:32

Dylan Beattie

3 Answers3