--- parser3/src/main/pa_string.C	2023/12/13 20:07:11	1.271
+++ parser3/src/main/pa_string.C	2024/09/24 00:18:54	1.274
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #include "pa_charset.h"
 #include "pa_vregex.h"
 
-volatile const char * IDENT_PA_STRING_C="$Id: pa_string.C,v 1.271 2023/12/13 20:07:11 moko Exp $" IDENT_PA_STRING_H;
+volatile const char * IDENT_PA_STRING_C="$Id: pa_string.C,v 1.274 2024/09/24 00:18:54 moko Exp $" IDENT_PA_STRING_H;
 
 const String String::Empty;
 
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ template<typename T> inline T pa_ato_any
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (base < 2 || base > 16) { /* illegal base */
+	if (base < 2 || base > 16) /* illegal base */
 		throw Exception(PARSER_RUNTIME, 0, "base to must be an integer from 2 to 16");
-	}
+	if (*pos == '-')
+		throw Exception("number.format", problem_source, problem_source ? "out of range (negative)" : "'%s' is out if range (negative)", str);
 
 	T cutoff = max / base;
 	int cutoff_digit = (int)(max - cutoff * base);
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ template<typename T> inline T pa_ato_any
 
 	while(char c=*pos++)
 		if(!isspace(c))
-			throw Exception("number.format", problem_source, problem_source ? "invalid number (int)" : "'%s' is invalid number (int)", str);
+			throw Exception("number.format", problem_source, problem_source ? "invalid number (int)" : "'%s' is an invalid number (int)", str);
 
 	return result;
 }
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 static int CORD_range_contains_chr_greater_then_proc(char c, size_t size, void* client_data)
 {
-	register chr_data * d = (chr_data *)client_data;
+	chr_data * d = (chr_data *)client_data;
 
 	if (d -> countdown<=0) return(2);
 	d -> countdown -= size;
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ public:
 		*this+=new String("match");
 		*this+=new String("postmatch");
 		for(int i=0; i<MAX_MATCH_GROUPS; i++) {
-			*this+=new String(String::Body::Format(1+i), String::L_CLEAN);
+			*this+=new String(pa_uitoa(1+i), String::L_CLEAN);
 		}
 	}
 };
@@ -241,12 +242,6 @@ Table string_match_table_template(new St
 
 // String::Body methods
 
-String::Body String::Body::Format(int value) {
-	char local[MAX_NUMBER];
-	size_t length=snprintf(local, MAX_NUMBER, "%d", value);
-	return String::Body(pa_strdup(local, length));
-}
-
 String::Body String::Body::trim(String::Trim_kind kind, const char* chars, size_t* out_start, size_t* out_length, Charset* source_charset) const {
 	size_t our_length=length();
 	if(!our_length)