[Closed] removing quotes from text output

A String Value in MAXScript always has the quotes.
The Print method always outputs a string as is, including the quotes.
If you Print another value, like an integer, there will be no quotes unless you convert the value to string.
This is because, as the Reference explains in the “Value Common Properties, Operators and Methods” topic, all values written out with print will be directly readable by readValue() and readExpression(). In order to know that a string is being read back, the string value must be output with its quotes. If that were not the case, readExpression() would have tried to convert the string to a user variable and would have returned undefined if that variable did not exist, or even error out.

Format on the other hand uses a formatting string to define what will be output and does not care about readValue() and readExpression(). It never outputs the quotes of a String value unless the formatting string (first argument of the format() method) explicitly specifies them. Format is intended for more controlled output and should be used when the format (pun intended) of the output matters.

  (
  a = "Test" --this is a string and has quotes
  b = 10 --this is an integer and does not have quotes
  f = createFile "c:\	emp\\print.txt" --create a temp. file for testing
  print a to:f --print the string to the file
  print b to:f --print the integer to the file
  print (b as string) to:f --print the integer converted to string to the file
  
  format "%
" a to:f  --now format the string to the file
  format "%
" b to:f  --format the integer to the file
  format "%
" (b as string) to:f --format the integer as string to the file
  format "\"%\"
" a to:f  --format the string to the file with explicit quotes
  
  close f --close the file
  edit "c:\	emp\\print.txt" --open to see it
  )

Result:

"Test"   --printed string with quotes
  10		--printed integer - no quites
  "10"	  --printed integer as string - with quotes
  Test	 --formatted string - no quotes
  10		--formatted integer - no quotes
  10		--formatted integer as string - no quotes
  "Test"   --formatted string with explicit quotes