# Size only accepts literals not expressions 4 beta
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372
**Category:** Beginners
**Created:** [November 7, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372 "2021-11-07T12:46:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@seanc4s](https://discourse.processing.org/u/seanc4s)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372/1 "2021-11-07T12:46:22Z")
```auto
float[] data=new float[50000];
void setup(){
size(300*3,300);
background(0);
for(int i=0;i<50000;i++){
data[i]=randomGaussian();
}
for(int i=0;i<50000;i+=2){
int x=150+int(50f*data[i]);
int y=150+int(50f*data[i+1]);
set(x,y,color(255,230,0));
}
}
```
Gives:size() cannot be used here, see [Reference / Processing.org](https://processing.org/reference/size_.html)
However this is okay:
```auto
float[] data=new float[50000];
void setup(){
size(900,300);
background(0);
for(int i=0;i<50000;i++){
data[i]=randomGaussian();
}
for(int i=0;i<50000;i+=2){
int x=150+int(50f*data[i]);
int y=150+int(50f*data[i+1]);
set(x,y,color(255,230,0));
}
```
Lol.
Also you might want to check save and save as…
If you accidentally click save as when you should have clicked save, … well I lost some code.
---
### Author:  [@monkstone](https://discourse.processing.org/u/monkstone)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372/2 "2021-11-07T13:29:11Z")
If you want to use [expressions use settings](https://processing.org/reference/settings_.html). The processing pre-processor hides the fact that processing uses settings under the hood before the java code gets compiled.
---
### Author:  [@seanc4s](https://discourse.processing.org/u/seanc4s)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2021, 12:41am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372/3 "2021-11-08T00:41:56Z")
That’s kinda unfortunate, kinda non-standard behavior, that sometimes we must just accept in life. Lol. 😺
---
### Author:  [@josephh](https://discourse.processing.org/u/josephh)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372/4 "2021-11-08T19:44:32Z")
If you read the documentation of the [size()](https://processing.org/reference/size_.html) function, it says:
> As of Processing 3.0, to use variables as the parameters to **size()** function, place the **size()** function within the **settings()** function (instead of **setup()** ). There is more information about this on the **settings()** reference page.
And in the [`settings()`](https://processing.org/reference/settings_.html) reference page:
> The **settings()** function is new with Processing 3.0. It’s not needed in most sketches. It’s only useful when it’s absolutely necessary to define the parameters to **size()** with a variable.
Everything is explained here and it’s not specific to Processing 4 beta 😉
Also save as works without trouble on Processing 4.0b2. If you have any reproducible bugs, please report them on the GitHub issue page: [Issues · benfry/processing4 · GitHub](https://github.com/processing/processing4/issues/)
---
### Author:  [@seanc4s](https://discourse.processing.org/u/seanc4s)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/size-only-accepts-literals-not-expressions-4-beta/33372/5 "2021-11-09T00:12:15Z")
I tried (for fun) setting size in a object initializer section which is to help setup inner classes, it didn’t work, but the error report was better. Lol.
Eg.
```auto
{
size(2*100,200);
}
void setup(){}
```