instead, add a trimWhitespace option to OpenLayers.String.numericIf as discussed with @ahocevar

lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes.js

@@ -189,12 +189,16 @@ OpenLayers.String = {
      * 
      * Parameters:
      * value - {String}
+     * trimWhitespace - {Boolean}
      *
      * Returns:
      * {Number|String} a Number if the passed value is a number, a String
      *     otherwise. 
      */
-    numericIf: function(value) {
+    numericIf: function(value, trimWhitespace) {
+        if (trimWhitespace === true) {
+            value = value.replace(/^\s*|\s*$/g, "");
+        }
         return OpenLayers.String.isNumeric(value) ? parseFloat(value) : value;
     }
 

lib/OpenLayers/Format/Filter/v1.js

@@ -180,18 +180,18 @@ OpenLayers.Format.Filter.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
             },
             "Literal": function(node, obj) {
                 obj.value = OpenLayers.String.numericIf(
-                    this.getChildValue(node).replace(this.regExes.trimSpace, ""));
+                    this.getChildValue(node), true);
             },
             "PropertyName": function(node, filter) {
                 filter.property = this.getChildValue(node);
             },
             "LowerBoundary": function(node, filter) {
                 filter.lowerBoundary = OpenLayers.String.numericIf(
-                    this.readers.ogc._expression.call(this, node).replace(this.regExes.trimSpace, ""));
+                    this.readers.ogc._expression.call(this, node), true);
             },
             "UpperBoundary": function(node, filter) {
                 filter.upperBoundary = OpenLayers.String.numericIf(
-                    this.readers.ogc._expression.call(this, node).replace(this.regExes.trimSpace, ""));
+                    this.readers.ogc._expression.call(this, node), true);
             },
             "Intersects": function(node, obj) {
                 this.readSpatial(node, obj, OpenLayers.Filter.Spatial.INTERSECTS);

tests/BaseTypes.html

@@ -220,9 +220,10 @@
             {value: " 3", expect: " 3"},
             {value: "1e", expect: "1e"},
             {value: "1+e", expect: "1+e"},
-            {value: "1-e", expect: "1-e"}
+            {value: "1-e", expect: "1-e"},
+            {value: " 27 ", expect: " 27 "}
         ];
-        t.plan(cases.length);
+        t.plan(cases.length + 1);
         
         var func = OpenLayers.String.numericIf;
         var obj, val, got, exp;
@@ -233,6 +234,9 @@
             got = func(val);
             t.eq(got, exp, "'" + val + "' returns " + exp);
         }
+
+        // test the trimWhitespace option
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.String.numericIf(" 27 ", true), 27, "if trimWhitespace is true, we expect to get a Number");
     }