# string comparison?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/string-comparison/14164
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 26, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/string-comparison/14164 "2012-11-26T00:50:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@T3KN0GH057](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/T3KN0GH057)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/string-comparison/14164/1 "2012-11-26T00:50:10Z")
Ok so here's what i'm trying to do and how i tried to do it....
I have an action that should set ITUNESMEDIATYPE to "Music Video" if the extension is 'm4v' and to "Normal" if the extension is not 'm4v'
This is what i tried
```
if($eql(%_extension%,m4v),Music Video,Normal)
```
when run, everything ends up set to "Unknown"
now I'm not understanding why?
does $eql(x,y) not work with strings?
if not what do i use to compare strings?
---
### Author:  [@stevehero](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stevehero)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/string-comparison/14164/2 "2012-11-26T01:42:37Z")
You've missed putting in a ' **$**' before '**if($eql(%\_extension%,m4v),Music Video,Normal)**
---
### Author:  [@T3KN0GH057](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/T3KN0GH057)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/string-comparison/14164/3 "2012-11-26T01:58:04Z")
> [@stevehero](#):
>
> You've missed putting in a ' **$**' before '**if($eql(%\_extension%,m4v),Music Video,Normal)**
thanks
i would have never caught that!
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/string-comparison/14164/4 "2026-02-09T12:24:11Z")