# Create a negative numeric variable **URL:** \ **Category:** Ideas & Suggestions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842 "2021-05-27T14:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bart\_Driessen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/bart_driessen/32/34457_2.png) [@Bart\_Driessen](https://community.homey.app/u/Bart_Driessen)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/1 "2021-05-27T14:51:09Z")
It seems that in the iOS app I’m not able to create a new numeric variable with a negative value (there is no minus sign on the keyboard). Of course the variable can become negative when I perform operations with it. If I go to the web interface on my computer, I can create a a numeric value with a negative value. Looks like a little bug to me. Also in the app: the keyboard shows a decimal comma (not a point). The comma is replaced with a dot after saving it. It would be nice if this is more consistent. ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/2 "2021-05-27T16:34:11Z")
Please report these issues to [support@athom.com](mailto:support@athom.com) ---
**Author:** ![Edwin\_D](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/edwin_d/32/136417_2.png) [@Edwin\_D](https://community.homey.app/u/Edwin_D)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/3 "2021-05-27T16:51:23Z")
I’m on the Testflight version the iPad, but there I do not have any problems at all, what does it look like for you then? This is what I get: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/9/3/93dfe4ea0774e37378a786204902e73d4da9ce69.jpeg) (I’m Dutch, so a decimal comma is normal for me). ---
**Author:** ![Bart\_Driessen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/bart_driessen/32/34457_2.png) [@Bart\_Driessen](https://community.homey.app/u/Bart_Driessen)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/4 "2021-05-27T20:34:50Z")
To me on my iPhone it looks like this ![IMG_1076.PNG](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/e/2/e27ea3299453b74326fdcc5f3b68ec5095c06c13.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/5 "2021-05-28T02:51:15Z")
> [@Bart\_Driessen](#): > > The comma is replaced with a dot after saving it The default used decimal sign on Homey is a dot. Very consistent. But you have to know it😁 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 2:53am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/6 "2021-05-28T02:53:56Z")
I’ve different keyboards for this “crap” (why has a numeric keyboard no `-` character, or a comma??). Is it possible to install alternative keyboards on an iphone? ![Screenshot_20210528-045328_Chrome](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/0/8/08f60ec2df3f1946aa3601b5b9a9c667e454be84.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Bart\_Driessen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/bart_driessen/32/34457_2.png) [@Bart\_Driessen](https://community.homey.app/u/Bart_Driessen)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 7:26am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/7 "2021-05-28T07:26:01Z")
In that case, the dot should be present on the keyboard as well, instead of the comma. In that case it would indeed be consistent. The most consistent would be, if the Homey app would reflect the language/display settings on the mobile phone. As far as my knowledge goes, the numeric keyboard could be displayed with a minus sign also visible. I think I cannot change the keyboard, its the responsibility of the app maker to show me the numeric one, the alfabet one, an email variation to that, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/8 "2021-05-28T10:45:27Z")
Your keyboard reflects your used language. Homey chose to use the international decimal dot. An app cannot change your numeric keyboard layout or language setting afaik. So it is what it is. You have to ask apple for keyboard layout changes. This is amongst many other reasons, why I use Android. You can change things. ![Screenshot_20210528-125117_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/1/1/11d049c1053f795d8efebfb2d65c00f3e7588c77.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Rocodamelshekima](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/rocodamelshekima/32/8209_2.png) [@Rocodamelshekima](https://community.homey.app/u/Rocodamelshekima)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 10:58am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/9 "2021-05-28T10:58:06Z")
I have a workaround/temporarily solution: Make the number in notes and copy/paste it into the variable. ---
**Author:** ![Bart\_Driessen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/bart_driessen/32/34457_2.png) [@Bart\_Driessen](https://community.homey.app/u/Bart_Driessen)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 11:15am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/10 "2021-05-28T11:15:19Z")
My workaround is to use the web version of Homey. But I dare to differ with Peter. As the majority of apps do (and every app should do), take the international settings of your phone into account, let the user enter numbers (or dates for example) in their usual format, and convert the data into some internal format. Its not a super big deal if this is not happening, but we shouldn’t call it consistent. There is no international standard for it, it differs based on the user’s location: [Decimal separator - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_separator) I see that the apple numeric keyboard system element doesn’t provide a minus sign (which is a shortcoming of iOS), but workarounds are available. Like [ios - Is there a UITextField keyboard type that like a number pad but allows negative numbers? - Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27272121/is-there-a-uitextfield-keyboard-type-that-like-a-number-pad-but-allows-negative) and [https://github.com/xamarin/Xamarin.Forms/issues/6580](https://github.com/xamarin/Xamarin.Forms/issues/6580) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2021, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/11 "2021-05-28T12:27:24Z")
> [@Bart\_Driessen](#): > > There is no international standard for it, it differs based on the user’s location: [Decimal separator - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_separator) I should be clearer, I meant the English / US standard, but that’s kind of an international base. Agreed if you can set mph/kmh and °F/°C on many apps, why not an option to set a `,` or `.` as the decimal symbol ---
**Author:** ![tb1962](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/tb1962/32/7888_2.png) [@tb1962](https://community.homey.app/u/tb1962)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 4:20am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/12 "2021-05-29T04:20:42Z")
> [@Peter\_Kawa](#): > > This is amongst many other reasons, why I use Android. You can change things. Yeah, so can others 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rocodamelshekima](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/rocodamelshekima/32/8209_2.png) [@Rocodamelshekima](https://community.homey.app/u/Rocodamelshekima)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 6:27am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/create-a-negative-numeric-variable/47842/13 "2021-05-29T06:27:53Z")
> [@Peter\_Kawa](#): > > This is amongst many other reasons, why I use Android. You can change things If u don’t start the iOS/android discussion then I don’t have to say android sucks!