Sended to VFPT.

* VFP 9.1720
* When CAST N to C allocate for the integer part a minimum of 10 characters
* this choice is for a decimal point alignment, but it have a lot of side effects

* Expected rules, in ORDER of priority :
* - when possible, no loss of data, OTHERWISE PUT NULL !
* - for V(N) ALLTRIMmed ( now VFP9.1720 do a C(N) casting and after apply a RTRIM()
* - for C(N) right alignment use useful for output alignment,
*   but this not respect the CAST(CAST(nExp AS C(N)) AS V(N)) == CAST(nExp AS V(N)) invariance
* For the decimal point alignment, the best solution is allow nPrecision usability for C() and V() casting
* - example : CAST(-1.56 AS C(9,6) => |-1.56      |
* Have SET FIXED ON/OFF to overridde the nExp decimals ? This is a possible choice for a global casting.
* to recapitulate : C(n,m) overridde SET FIXED ON + SET DECIMALS and this last overridde nExp.

* run this and read output comments ( and read the others issue and bug on internal comment)
*-------------------------------------------
* set natural casting ( VFP9.1720 is not subject to SET FIXED control )

CLEAR
_screen.FontSize = 8
SET DECIMALS TO 18
SET FIXED OFF
? "*************  FIXED : OFF ***********" && , SET("Fixed") this is a VFP issue: not exists a command for get the SET FIXED status
lnNumber = -1.8
? "value is ", m.lnNumber

? "CHAR 11"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL(m.lnNumber,11)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 11"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,11))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'
lnNumber = -1.12345678
? "value is ", m.lnNumber

? "CHAR 11"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL(m.lnNumber,11)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 11"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,11))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'
lnNumber = -1.1234567891
? "value is ", m.lnNumber

? "CHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL(m.lnNumber,20)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,20))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = - 1234567890.1
? "value is ", m.lnNumber , "sorry, it is :",m.lnNumber*1  && HERE YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER VFP BUG

? "CHAR 20"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL(m.lnNumber,20)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,20))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = - 1234567890
? "value is ", m.lnNumber

? "CHAR 30"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(30))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL(m.lnNumber,30)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 30"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(30))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,30))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = INT(- 2^53)
? "value is ", m.lnNumber

? "CHAR 20"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL(m.lnNumber,20)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,20))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = -1.1234567891
? "value is ", m.lnNumber

? "CHAR 11"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected | .NULL. |" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 11"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected | .NULL. |" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

* next expected are a my subjective choice
SET FIXED ON
? "***************  FIXED : ON ************"
SET DECIMALS TO 6 
? "DECIMALS :",SET("Decimals")
lnNumber = -1.8
? "value is ", PADL(m.lnNumber,20)

? "CHAR 11"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL("-1.8     ",11)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 11"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,11))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'
lnNumber = -1.12345678
? "value is ", PADL(m.lnNumber,20)

? "CHAR 11"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected a .NULL." AT 50
? "VARCHAR 11"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(11))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected a .NULL." AT 50
?'-------------------------'
lnNumber = -1.1234567891
? "value is ", PADL(m.lnNumber,20)

? "CHAR 20"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected a .NULL." AT 50
? "VARCHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected a .NULL." AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = - 1234567890.1
? "value is ", PADL(m.lnNumber,20)

? "CHAR 20"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL("-1234567890.100000",20)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,20))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = - 1234567890
? "value is ", PADL(m.lnNumber,20)

? "CHAR 30"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(30))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL("-1234567890       ",30)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 30"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(30))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,30))+"|" AT 50
?'-------------------------'

lnNumber = INT(- 2^53)
? "value is ", PADL(m.lnNumber,20)

? "CHAR 20"		,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as c(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+PADL("-9007199254740992",20)+"|" AT 50
? "VARCHAR 20"	,"|"+CAST(m.lnNumber as v(20))+"|"	AT 10," => Expected |"+LTRIM(PADL(m.lnNumber,20))+"|" AT 50

I have inserted what I waited, any comment to them (with of the motivations) is welcomed.

Fabio