# Can’t write  in rab

**URL:** <https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/can-t-write-in-rab/2116>\
**Category:** Developer Tools\
**Created:** [August 29, 2008, 10:38am UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/can-t-write-in-rab/2116 "2008-08-29T10:38:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Klaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@Klaus](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/Klaus)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 10:38am UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/can-t-write-in-rab/2116/1 "2008-08-29T10:38:24Z")

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Hallo.

I have a big problems. I have made a HMI where i have to write in some text string in my rapid code. But if i use “” i can’t write into my rapid. My string won’t accept it.

How come. I use RAP 5.10 an VS2008.

Best regards Klaus

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RussD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@RussD](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/u/RussD)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/t/can-t-write-in-rab/2116/2 "2008-08-29T15:29:52Z")

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It also fails on the Data Viewer on the FlexPendant with a message “Value out of range”, so evidently “” is an illegal character in strings, despite the description of allowable characters in the RAPID kernel reference. In RSO, the syntax checker refers to an unexpected, unknown token.

Interestingly, it looks like you can use "" without getting syntax errors.

\ ***update from the string literal section of the kernel reference**

The possibility to use character codes provides a means to include non printable

characters (binary data) in string literals. **If a back slash or double quote character**

**should be included in a string literal it must be written twice.**

e.g. “A string literal”

“Contains a “” character”

“Ends with BEL control character7”

“Contains a \ character”