turn a string of letters into a single number.

So, I recently got into making CC programs and I am having troubles with this

I am trying to make a string of letters into a single number.

I have done this

local letters = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'
local input = read()
local data = 0

for i=1, #input do
  local char = input:sub(i,i)
  local num = letters:find(char)
  local temp = num + data
  local data = temp
  print(data)
end

but it doesn't work. I have probably made it way too complicated than it has to be :)

Any suggestions?

local data = temp

This creates a new variable in the local scope of the "for" loop. You want to use the "data" upvalue you defined before that loop started, so ditch the "local" from this line here.

Try this instead:

-- Read input
local input = read()
-- Convert string to int: http://www.lua.org/manual/5.1/manual.html#pdf-tonumber
local myNumber = tonumber(input)

if(myNumber == nil) then
	 -- Not a valid number, do what ever you want to do to tell the user to correct his input.
else
	 -- Valid number, do what ever you want to do with your number here.
end

Have not tested it but it should run.

Bomb Bloke, on 28 March 2018 - 06:37 AM said:

local data = temp

This creates a new variable in the local scope of the "for" loop. You want to use the "data" upvalue you defined before that loop started, so ditch the "local" from this line here.

Oh, I didn't know that. All this time, it was just a simple fix xD