How to stop an APM variable converting string to number

[AlexBCT]

Hi all,

For a specific requirement, I need to add ".0" at the end of a username in APM. I'm doing this using a Variable Assign agent in the VPE.

As the username consists completely of numbers, APM automatically converts the variable to floating point number. Normally not a big problem as it's still stored in strings anyway, but unfortunately a lot of the usernames starts with one or more 0's, meaning during the conversion to floating point, it removes those leading zeroes! (...talk about APM/TCL being too helpful... 😉

Does anyone know of a way to force APM to interpret a variable and any modifications on it as strings, rather than numbers?

Thanks!

[Dario_Garrido]

Hello Alex.

This is working for me:

session.logon.last.username = expr { "[mcget {session.logon.last.username}].0" }

Regards,

Dario.

[AlexBCT]

Hi Dario,

Thanks for the response!

I've just tried this one in my lab, but unfortunately it still strips off the leading 0 when I look at session.logon.last.username afterwards. When you run it with for example 012346 as a username, what does the variable look like afterwards in your system?

Thanks!

[Dario_Garrido]

Hello Alex.

Apply this iRule to your VS.

when ACCESS_POLICY_AGENT_EVENT {
    if { [ACCESS::policy agent_id] eq "format_username" } {
        ACCESS::session data set session.logon.last.username "[ACCESS::session data get "session.logon.last.username"].0"
    }
}

Then configure an iRule Event box in your APM policy with ID "format_username".

Let me know if this works in your scenario.

Regards,

Dario.

[Dario_Garrido]

BTW, you can fix the issue with Variable Assign box using just the next syntax:

session.logon.last.username = "[mcget {session.logon.last.username}].0"

Regards,

Dario.