# Strstr broken? result is always 0
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942
**Category:** No Bugs
**Created:** [April 30, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942 "2011-04-30T15:21:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@anon40688970](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/anon40688970)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/1 "2011-04-30T15:21:28Z")
I tried to use $strstr inside a format value action. It did not work in every combination i tried. I ended up with something like
Format Value
Field: Title
Format String: $strstr(%\_filename%, "e")
The filename of course contained the character 'e'. The result was, as in my previous tests, 0. Is this the expected result?
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/2 "2011-04-30T15:32:57Z")
> [@anon40688970](#):
>
> I tried to use $strstr inside a format value action. ... The filename of course contained the character 'e'. The result was, as in my previous tests, 0. Is this the expected result?...
Try it using the correct syntax:
**$strstr(%\_filename%,'e')**
Result: 15
Filename: Albinoni-Trumpet Concerto
This works too when searching only for one character:
**$strchr(%\_filename%,'e')**
Result: 15
Filename: Albinoni-Trumpet Concerto
But what should bring this expression in an action 'Format Value' on the tag-field TITLE?
DD.20110430.1938.CEST
---
### Author:  [@anon40688970](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/anon40688970)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/3 "2011-04-30T15:52:39Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> But what should bring this expression in an action 'Format Value' on the tag-field TITLE?
My example was part of a larger expression. I tried to use the strstr part basically to determine if a filename contains a given string.
Thanks for hinting to the difference between '0' and "0". Was i supposed to know that? The documentation usually uses double quotes for strings.
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### Author:  [@anon40688970](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/anon40688970)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/4 "2011-04-30T15:55:11Z")
> [@anon40688970](#):
>
> Was i supposed to know that? The documentation usually uses double quotes for strings.
Guess thats my fault. I mixed up websources and actions.
Sorry
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/5 "2011-04-30T16:20:00Z")
> [@anon40688970](#):
>
> Guess thats my fault. I mixed up websources and actions. ...
Never mind, Mp3tag's several scripting languages and their loose syntax are good for more than one recurring confusion.
DD.20110430.2022.CEST
---
### Author:  [@AndrewGebbie](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/AndrewGebbie)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/6 "2012-08-23T13:11:40Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Try it using the correct syntax:
>
> **$strstr(%\_filename%,'e')**
>
> Result: 15
> Filename: Albinoni-Trumpet Concerto
The difference is the space between the parameters:
anon40688970: $strstr(%\_filename%, "e")
DetlevD: $strstr(%\_filename%,'e')
The second of these works, the first doesn't. Either kind of quote mark is fine
As a programmer I wasn't expecting this and it took me hours to figure it out!
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/7 "2012-08-23T13:48:12Z")
> [@Andrew Gebbie](#):
>
> Either kind of quote mark is fine
No, double quotes are treated as literals.
$strstr(%\_filename%,e) is another possibility.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/strstr-broken-result-is-always-0/11942/8 "2018-12-28T14:30:21Z")
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