how about in this case:

<dtml-if "this_page_start != page_start"> <P>this_page_start (<dtml-var this_page_start>) is not equal to page_start (<dtml-var page_start>) </dtml-if>

yet when both variables are in fact equal, say they both are equal to "4", it still tells me they are not.

How do this_page_start and page_start obtain their values?