# Sync errors from negative decimals without a leading zero: Android Capture 3.4.2 accepts them, server rejects them

**URL:** <https://community.dhis2.org/t/sync-errors-from-negative-decimals-without-a-leading-zero-android-capture-3-4-2-accepts-them-server-rejects-them/77115>\
**Category:** Support - Assistance technique\
**Tags:** tracker, android\
**Created:** [28 September 2026 20:44 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/sync-errors-from-negative-decimals-without-a-leading-zero-android-capture-3-4-2-accepts-them-server-rejects-them/77115 "2026-09-28T20:44:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![researchfd](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/community.dhis2.org/researchfd/32/50352_2.png) [@researchfd](https://community.dhis2.org/u/researchfd)\
**Post date:** [28 September 2026 20:44 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/sync-errors-from-negative-decimals-without-a-leading-zero-android-capture-3-4-2-accepts-them-server-rejects-them/77115/1 "2026-09-28T20:44:43Z")

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Hi all,

I think I’ve found a validation gap in the Android Capture app and wanted to flag it.

Setup:

- Android Capture app 3.4.2, Android 16 (Samsung, One UI 8.5)
- DHIS2 2.41.9.1
- Tracker program, data elements with value type Number (pediatric z-scores)

What happens:

- If I enter .62, the app shows a formatting error and won’t accept it, which is what I’d expect.
- If I enter -.62, the app accepts it with no error and saves it offline.
- On sync, the server rejects it with: `DataElement ' ' is not valid: 'Value type is NUMBER but the value '-.62' is not.'`

Expected: -.62 should probably be rejected the same way .62 is, or normalized to -0.62 before saving.

I tried to catch it with a program rule, but the rule engine sees the value as -0.62 inside functions (d2:left returns -0), so as far as I can tell there’s no way to catch it on our end. For now we’re relying on field hints and fixing stuck values by hand before sync.

Happy to share more details if helpful. Thanks!

[@dhis2-android](https://community.dhis2.org/groups/dhis2-android)

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**Author:** ![Gassim](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/community.dhis2.org/gassim/32/35347_2.png) [@Gassim](https://community.dhis2.org/u/Gassim)\
**Post date:** [29 September 2026 14:44 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/sync-errors-from-negative-decimals-without-a-leading-zero-android-capture-3-4-2-accepts-them-server-rejects-them/77115/2 "2026-09-29T14:44:26Z")

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Hi @researchfd

Welcome to the DHIS2 Community of Practice, and thank you for reporting this! This is most likely a bug issue similar to this ticket: [Jira](https://dhis2.atlassian.net/browse/ANDROAPP-4890)

Would you like to create a jira bug issue for this? You’d need an account in [jira.dhis2.org](http://jira.dhis2.org) then click ‘Create’ issue type, bug and project **ANDROAPP**.

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**Author:** ![researchfd](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/community.dhis2.org/researchfd/32/50352_2.png) [@researchfd](https://community.dhis2.org/u/researchfd)\
**Post date:** [5 October 2026 16:20 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/sync-errors-from-negative-decimals-without-a-leading-zero-android-capture-3-4-2-accepts-them-server-rejects-them/77115/3 "2026-10-05T16:20:37Z")

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Thanks so much for the feedback! Just created the bug ticket, linked here: [Jira](https://dhis2.atlassian.net/browse/ANDROAPP-7859)

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**Author:** ![Gassim](https://dhis2.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/community.dhis2.org/gassim/32/35347_2.png) [@Gassim](https://community.dhis2.org/u/Gassim)\
**Post date:** [6 October 2026 14:12 UTC](https://community.dhis2.org/t/sync-errors-from-negative-decimals-without-a-leading-zero-android-capture-3-4-2-accepts-them-server-rejects-them/77115/4 "2026-10-06T14:12:15Z")

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Thank you! The issue has been resolved and will be in the next release. 🎉