playlist_pointer[pos]

Here's what the help says about a response to playlist_getpointer:

playlist_pointer[ pos ] - indicates the pointer position in the playlist, the first position being 1. 0 is returned if the playlist is empty.

My problem is that 1, instead of 0, is being returned when the playlist is empty. I'm getting stuck in a loop trying to act upon something when there's nothing there, any help would be appreciated.