Using Functions

This section describes system-supplied functions you can use in expressions. Write your own functions to solve specific application problems.

Function	Description
ABS	Returns the absolute value of a number. Computes on one argument: -SET &PRICE = (ABS(&AMOUNT-&OLDAMOUNT))/100;
INT	Returns the integer part of a number. Computes on one argument: -SET &YEAR = INT(&DATE/10000);
MAX	Returns the maximum value. Computes on one or more arguments, each separated by a comma: -SET &LARGE = IF &FACTOR GT 10 THEN MAX(10,&AMOUNT) - ELSE MAX(0,&AMOUNT,&VALUE/10);
MIN	Returns the minimum value. Computes on one or more arguments, each separated by a comma: -SET &LOW = MIN(0,&AMOUNT,&NEWAMOUNT,&OTHER);
LOG	Returns the logarithm of a number, base e. Computes on one argument: -SET &VAL = 100&AMOUNTLOG(&PRICE);
SQRT	Returns the square root of a number. Computes on one argument: -SET &VALUE = 100*&AMOUNT/SQRT(&TOTA);

Function

Description

ABS

Returns the absolute value of a number. Computes on one argument:

-SET &PRICE = (ABS(&AMOUNT-&OLDAMOUNT))/100;

INT

Returns the integer part of a number. Computes on one argument:

-SET &YEAR = INT(&DATE/10000);

MAX

Returns the maximum value. Computes on one or more arguments, each separated by a comma:

-SET &LARGE = IF &FACTOR GT 10 THEN MAX(10,&AMOUNT)
-  ELSE MAX(0,&AMOUNT,&VALUE/10);

MIN

Returns the minimum value. Computes on one or more arguments, each separated by a comma:

-SET &LOW = MIN(0,&AMOUNT,&NEWAMOUNT,&OTHER);

LOG

Returns the logarithm of a number, base e. Computes on one argument:

-SET &VAL = 100*&AMOUNT*LOG(&PRICE);

SQRT

Returns the square root of a number. Computes on one argument:

-SET &VALUE = 100*&AMOUNT/SQRT(&TOTA);

System-supplied Function Table

This table summarizes additional system-supplied functions and arguments. Contact your Information Builder representative to request full documentation on these functions.

Function	Arguments	Description
ABS	value	Returns the absolute value of a number.
ARGLEN	inlength,infield,outfield	Calculates the non-blank length of an alphanumeric field.
ASIS	value	Distinguishes between a blank and zero.
ATODBL	number,inlength,outfield	Converts an alphanumeric field containing numeric data to a double-precision decimal field.
AYM	indate,months,outfield	Adds or subtracts a number of months from a given date.
AYMD	indate,days,outfield	Adds or subtracts a number of days from a given date.
BAR	barlength,infield,maxvalue, char,outfield	Includes a bar graph in a tabular report. Available for MVS and VM only.
BITSON	bitnumber,infield,outfield	Interprets multi-punch data (data that cannot be represented alphanumerically).
BITVAL	infield,startbit,number, outfield	Obtains the decimal value of a string of bits.
BYTVAL	character,outfield	Obtains the decimal equivalent of an alphanumeric character.
CHGDAT	oldformat,newformat,indate, outfield	Changes the format of a date.
CHKFMT	numchar,infield,mask, outfield	Checks character strings for incorrect character types.
CHKPCK	inlength,infield,error, outfield	Validates packed field format.
CNCTUSR	outfield	Indicates the connected user.
CTRAN	inlength,infield,incode, outcode,outfield	Substitutes characters in a string.
CTRFLD	infield,inlength,outfield	Centers character strings within fields.
DADMY	indate,outfield	Calculates number of days from 1/1/00 with input in day-month-year format.
DADYM	indate,outfield	Calculates number of days from 1/1/00 with input in day-year-month format.
DAMDY	indate,outfield	Calculates number of days from 1/1/00 with input in month-day-year format.
DAMYD	indate,outfield	Calculates number of days from 1/1/00 with input in month-year-day format.
DAYDM	indate,outfield	Calculates number of days from 1/1/00 with input in year-day-month format.
DAYMD	indate,outfield	Calculates number of days from 1/1/00 with input in year-month-day format.
DATEADD	YYMDdate,unit,#units	Adds or subtracts a unit to or from a date format.
DATECVT	indate,infmt,outfmt	Converts date formats within applications without requiring intermediate calculations.
DATEDIF	fromYYMD,toYYMD,unit	Returns the difference between two dates in units.
DATEMOV	YYMDdate,move-point	Moves a date to a significant point on the calendar.
DECODE	instring (invalue outvalue...)	Value translation (for more information, see Decoding a Value).
DMOD	dividend,divisor,outfield	Calculates the remainder from a division operation and returns a double-precision value.
DMY	begin,end	Calculates the difference between two dates in integer, alphanumeric, or packed format.
DOWK	indate,outfield	Provides the day of the week (in 4-character alphanumeric format) based on input date.
DOWKL	indate,outfield	Provides the day of the week (in 12-character alphanumeric format) based on input date.
DTDMY	number,outfield	Calculates the date from the number of days since 1/1/00 in day-month-year format.
DTDYM	number,outfield	Calculates the date from the number of days since 1/1/00 in day-year-month format.
DTMDY	number,outfield	Calculates the date from the number of days since 1/1/00 in month-day-year format.
DTMYD	number,outfield	Calculates the date from the number of days since 1/1/00 in month-year-day format.
DTYDM	number,outfield	Calculates the date from the number of days since 1/1/00 in year-day-month format.
DTYMD	number,outfield	Calculates the date from the number of days since 1/1/00 in year-month-day format.
EDIT	infield[,mask]	Converts numeric to string when both parms are supplied or string to masked string when only the first parm is supplied. For more information, see Editing a Value.
EXP	power,outfield	Raises "e" to a given power.
EXPN	n.nn {E\|D} {+\|-} p	Evaluates an argument expressed in scientific notation.
FEXERR	nnnnn,A72	Retrieves an error message.
FGETENV	envnamelen,envname, outfieldlen,outfldformat	Retrieves the value of an environment variable and returns it as an alphanumeric string.
FINDMEM	ddname,member,outfield	Determines whether a partitioned data set contains a specified member. Available for MVS only.
FMLINFO	'forvalue', outfield	Retrieves FML value for direct use in calculations or a report.
FMOD	dividend,divisor,outfield	Calculates the remainder from a division operation and returns a single-precision value.
FORECAST	fld2,interval,npredict, method	Uncovers trends in numeric data. Methods are: Simple Moving Average (MOVAVE), Exponential Moving Average (EXPAVE), and Linear Regression Analysis (REGRESS).
FPUTENV	namelength,name, valuelength,value,rc	Assigns a character string to an environment variable. The rc parameter is an integer return value denoting success or failure. It requires an integer format (for example, I8). An rc value of 0 means success. All other values mean failure. If the string value contains embedded, leading, or trailing spaces, the whole string must be enclosed in double quotation marks (").
FTOA	number,usage,outfield	Converts a numeric field to alphanumeric format without inserting leading zeros.
GETPDS	ddname,member,outfield	Determines whether a specific member of a partitioned data set (PDS) exists and returns the PDS name.
GETSECID	outfield	Retrieves the security ID. Available for MVS only.
GETTOK	infield,inlen,toknum,delim, outlen,outfield	Extracts a token from a data string.
GETUSER	outfield	Retrieves the user ID from the system.
GREGDT	indate,outfield	Converts a Julian date to a Gregorian date.
HADD	dtfield,component, increment,length,Hformat	Specifies a date-time field by a given number of units.
HCNVRT	dtfield,Hfmt,rlength,Ann	Converts a date-time field to alphanumeric format for use with operators such as EDIT, CONTAINS, and LIKE.
HDATE	dtfield,dateformat	Extracts the date portion of a date-time field and converts it to a date format.
HDIFF	dtfield1,dtfield2,component ,Dformat	Finds the number of boundaries of a given type crossed going from date 2 to date 1.
HDTTM	datefield,length,Hformat	Converts a date field to a date-time field.
HEXBYT	number,outfield	Obtains the character equivalent of a numeric value.
HGETC	length,Hformat	Stores the current date and time in a date-time field.
HHMMSS	outfield	Retrieves the current time from the system.
HINPUT	inputlength,inputstring, length,Hfmt	Converts an alphanumeric string to a date-time value.
HMIDNT	dtfield,length,Hformat	Changes the time portion of a date-time field to midnight.
HNAME	dtfield,component,Aformat	Extracts a specified component from a date-time field and returns it in alphanumeric format.
HPART	dtfield,component,Iformat	Extracts a specified component from a date-time field and returns it in numeric format.
HSETPT	dtfield,component,value, length,Hformat	Inserts the numeric value of a specified component into a date-time field.
HTIME	length,dtfield,Dformat	Converts the time portion of a date-time field to a numeric number of milliseconds or microseconds.
IMOD	dividend,divisor,outfield	Calculates the remainder from a division operation and returns an integer value.
INT	value	Returns the integer part of an argument.
ITONUM	sigbytes,infield,outfield	Converts large binary integers in non-FOCUS files to double-precision format.
ITOPACK	sigbytes,infield,outfield	Converts large binary integers in non-Dialogue Manager files to packed format.
ITOZ	outlength,number,outfield	Converts a numeric field to a zoned decimal.
JULDAT	indate,outfield	Converts a Gregorian date to a Julian date.
LCWORD	length,instring,outstring	Translates uppercase characters in alphanumeric fields to lowercase on a word-by-word basis.
LJUST	inlength,infield,outfield	Left-justifies a character string within a field.
LOCASE	length,infield,outfield	Translates uppercase characters in alphanumeric fields to lowercase characters.
LOG	value	Returns the logarithm of a number, base e.
MAX	value1,value2...	Returns the maximum value.
MDY	begin,end	Calculates the difference between two dates in integer, alphanumeric, or packed format.
MIN	value1,value2...	Returns the maximum value.
MVS DYNAM	command,length,rc	Transfers a specified FOCUS DYNAM command to the DYNAM command processor. The rc parameter is an integer return value denoting success or failure. It requires an integer format (for example, I8). An rc value of 0 means success. All other values mean failure.
NORMSDST	value,outfield	Calculates percent of data value less than or equal to a normalized value.
NORMSINV	value,outfield	Calculates the upper percent of data value boundary for a normalized value.
OVRLAY	base,baselen,substring, sublen,position,outfield	Overlays a character string on a character string.
PARAG	inlength,infield,delimiter, subsize,outfield	Inserts a delimiter into a character string.
PCKOUT	infield,outlength,outfield	Outputs a packed field.
POSIT	parent,inlength,substring, sublength,outfield	Finds the position of a character string in another string.
PRDNOR	seed,outfield	Generates repeatable random numbers for normal distribution.
PRDUNI	seed,outfield	Generates repeatable random numbers for uniform distribution.
RDNORM	outfield	Generates random numbers for normal distribution.
RDUNIF	outfield	Generates random numbers for uniform distribution.
REVERSE	length,input,output	Reverses the characters that were input.
RJUST	inlength,infield,outfield	Right-justifies an alphanumeric field.
SOUNDEX	inlength,string,outfield	Searches for character strings phonetically.
SPELLNUM	outlength,infield,outfield	Takes an alphanumeric string or a numeric value with two decimal places and spells it out with dollars and cents.
SQRT	value	Returns the square root of a number.
STRIP	length,source_string, strip_char,result	Removes all occurrences of a specific character from an input string.
SUBSTR	inlength,parent,start,end, outlength,outfield	Extracts a substring.
TEMPPATH	outlength,outfield	Retrieves the physical directory name of the current agent process.
TODAY	outfield	Retrieves the current date from the system.
TRIM	location,string, string_length,pattern, pattern_length,,result	Removes leading and/or trailing occurrences of a pattern within a string. The location parm indicating where to trim the pattern is L (leading), T (trailing), or B (both leading and trailing).
TRUNCATE	var1	Removes trailing blanks from Dialogue Manager amper variables and adjusts the length accordingly.
UFMT	infield,inlength,outfield	Converts characters in alphanumeric fields to HEX representation.
UPCASE	length,infield,outfield	Translates lowercase characters in alphanumeric fields to uppercase.
YM	fromdate,todate,outfield	Returns the number of months between two dates.
YMD	begin,end	Calculates the difference between two dates in integer, alphanumeric, or packed format.

In most cases, outfield is expressed as a format and length such as A10 or I8 depending on the expected usage of the function.

-SET &LONG = 'ABC ' ; -SET &RESULT = EDIT(TRUNCATE(&LONG)|'Z','9999'); -SET &LL = &LONG.LENGTH; -SET &RL = &RESULT.LENGTH; -TYPE LONG = &LONG LENGTH = &LL -TYPE RESULT = &RESULT LENGTH = &RL