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Q212793: SMSINST: Increment Variable Operation Does Not Work as Expected

Article: Q212793
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): WINDOWS:2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsmsInst
Last Modified: 09-DEC-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server Installer version 2.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When using Set Variable Action with the Increment Operation in a Systems
Management Server Installer script, the numeric variable will not increment as
expected. It will remain at "1" and might never exit a loop if that value is
being evaluated as the loop's conditional.

CAUSE
=====

When writing a script for a loop in which a variable is needed to increment
through each iteration of the loop, only the increment operation and the
variable should be selected. This will not work properly unless a new value is
given to increment. This can be thought of as a typical X = X + 1 type of
operation where the first X is the variable and the second X is the new value.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this problem, simply set the new value to your variable name
surrounded with "%" symbols. The following is an example of such a script:

  Set Variable COUNTER to

  While COUNTER Less Than "10" do
    Display Message "Counter"
  Set Variable COUNTER to %COUNTER%
  End Block

Note that %COUNTER% should be defined as the message text in the display message
script item. Also, the operation value within "Set Variable COUNTER to
%COUNTER%" should be defined as increment.
In this example COUNTER is the variable and %COUNTER% is the new variable inside
the Set Variable dialog box.

Additional query words: prodsms smsinst

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Keywords          : kbsmsInst 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMSI200
Version           : WINDOWS:2.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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