# Tables recognizing letters instead of numbers

**URL:** <https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** validation, correctness\
**Created:** [March 10, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737 "2020-03-10T13:53:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Micah\_Baldree](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/micah_baldree/32/387_2.png) [@Micah\_Baldree](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Micah_Baldree)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737/1 "2020-03-10T13:53:39Z")

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Here is a link to one of my recent projects:  
[https://teacher.desmos.com/activitybuilder/custom/5e63f42b017850670cbf9c1c](https://teacher.desmos.com/activitybuilder/custom/5e63f42b017850670cbf9c1c)

I use tables to help students write their answers in, and the table will assess correctness. Something I would like to figure out but don’t seem to be able to is how to get a table to register correctness.

an example of a part of the code is this:  
initialCellContent(1,3): when figure1number =134 “✅” otherwise “”

I would like to figure out how instead it registering 134, i could replace it to register “ab” or any letters.

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**Author:** ![Daniel\_Grubbs](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/daniel_grubbs/32/719_2.png) [@Daniel\_Grubbs](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Daniel_Grubbs)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737/2 "2020-03-10T15:43:46Z")

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If you want to use text, you need to use quotes.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Micah\_Baldree](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/micah_baldree/32/387_2.png) [@Micah\_Baldree](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Micah_Baldree)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737/3 "2020-03-10T16:53:22Z")

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when using this line:  
initialCellContent(1,3): when figure1number =134 “✅” otherwise “”

if I was to write instead  
initialCellContent(1,3): when figure1number =“ab” “✅” otherwise “”

or any derivative of that, i keep getting an error notice and it will not work.

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**Author:** ![cwinske](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/cwinske/32/3106_2.png) [@cwinske](https://cl.desmos.com/u/cwinske)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737/4 "2020-03-10T17:04:36Z")

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Looks like you have your variable figure1number set to be a numeric value. When you defined your variable, change it to figure1number.cellContent(1,2), or whatever the location is in the table. This will allow it to be read as text.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daniel\_Grubbs](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/cl.desmos.com/daniel_grubbs/32/719_2.png) [@Daniel\_Grubbs](https://cl.desmos.com/u/Daniel_Grubbs)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://cl.desmos.com/t/tables-recognizing-letters-instead-of-numbers/737/5 "2020-03-10T17:55:48Z")

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Or if it needs to stay a number for other calculations try

… when “${figure1number}” = “ab” …