EGL library strLib

The strLib functions manipulate and convert data to and from STRING variables and format date/time variables.

The following table shows the system functions in the strLib library. Subsequent tables show the strLib variables and constants.

Table 1. strLib system functions
System function and invocation Description
result = base64Decode (text ) Returns the BASE64 decoded value of the input string.
result = base64Encode (text ) Returns the BASE64 encoded value of the input string.
result = booleanAsString (value ) Returns the string "true" or the string "false" based on a Boolean value.
result = byteLen (source ) Returns the number of bytes in a variable, excluding any trailing spaces and null values.
result = characterLen (source) Returns the number of characters in a text expression, excluding any trailing spaces or null values.
result = charAsInt (text ) Returns an integer code point corresponding to a character.
result = charAt (index ) Returns the char value at the specified index of the string. In EGL strings start from index 1.
result = clip (text [, code]) Deletes leading/trailing blanks and nulls from character strings.
result = concatenateStrings (text ) Returns the combined string obtained by appending the second string to the end of the first one.
result = Contains (target, sequence ) Checks whether a string contains a sequence of characters or not.
result = contentEquals (target, sequence ) Searches a string to find out if it contains the exact same sequence of characters in the specified string. Returns true if the characters exist and false if not.
result = endsWith (target, suffix ) Checks whether the string ends with the specified character(s). It has a new optional parameter for ignoring or not upper/lower cases.
result = equals (target, text ) Compares two strings, and returns true if the strings are equal, false if they are not.
result = equalsIgnoreCase (target, text ) Compares two strings, ignoring lowercase and uppercase differences, and returns true if the strings are equal, false if not.

result  = formatDate (dateValue
[, dateFormat])

 Formats a DATE value and returns a STRING value.

result  = formatNumber (numericExpression,
numericFormat)

 Returns a number as a formatted string.

result  = formatTime (timeValue
[, timeFormat])

 Formats a parameter into a time value and returns a STRING value. The default format is the format specified in the current locale.

result  = formatTimestamp (timestampValue
[, timestampFormat])

 Formats a parameter into a timestamp value and returns a value of type STRING. The DB2® format is the default format.

token = getNextToken (source, index,
delimiters)
result = getNextToken (target, source, index,
subStringLength, delimiters)

 Returns the next token in a string.
result = getTokenCount (source, delimiters) Returns the number of tokens in a source string.
result = indexOf (source, pattern [, startPosition] ) Returns an index into a string of characters. The index indicates where a specified pattern begins.
result = intAsChar (integer) Returns a character that corresponds to an integer code point.
result = intAsUnicode (integer) Returns a Unicode character that corresponds to an integer code point.
result = isEmpty (boolean ) Checks if a string is empty to return “true” otherwise it returns “false”.
result = isMatch (target, regex ) Checks whether this string matches the given regular expression (ReGeX).
result = Join (target, delimiter ) Concatenates the given element with the delimiter and returns the concatenated string.
result = lastIndexOf (target, element ) Returns the position of the last occurrence of specified character(s) in a string.
result = length (integer ) Returns the number of characters in the string.
result = lowerCase (text) Returns a copy of a character-type value and sets all the uppercase characters in that copy to lowercase. If the input value is of a type other than String, a data conversion strips trailing blanks from the input value before the function is invoked.
result = lowerCaseChar (text) Returns a copy of a character-type value and sets all the uppercase characters in that copy to lowercase. The function retains trailing blanks.
result = replaceAll (target, text, text ) Returns a new string where all the characters matching the ReGeX are replaced with the replacement string.
result = replaceFirst (target, text, text ) Returns a new string where the first occurrence of the matching substring is replaced with the replacement string.
result = replaceSubStr (target, text, text ) Searches a string for a specified character and returns a new string where the specified characters are replaced.
setBlankTerminator (target) Replaces a null terminator and any subsequent characters in a string with spaces.
setNullTerminator (target) Changes all trailing spaces in a string to null values.
result =spaces (characterCount) Returns a string of a specified length.
result = Split (text ) Splits a string into an array of substrings based on a specified delimiter.
result = startsWith (target, prefix ) Checks whether the string starts with the specified prefix.
result = subsequence (target, index, index ) Returns a character sequence that represents a subsequence of the original sequence, based on the specified starting index (inclusive) and ending index (exclusive).
result = substring (text ) Used to retrieve a portion of a string.
result = unicodeAsInt (integer) Returns an integer that corresponds to a Unicode character.
result = upperCase (text) Returns a copy of a character-type value and sets all the lowercase characters in that copy to uppercase. If the input value is of a type other than String, a data conversion strips trailing blanks from the input value before the function is invoked.
result = upperCaseChar (text) Returns a copy of a character-type value and sets all the lowercase characters in that copy to uppercase. The function retains trailing blanks.

Variables

The following table shows the system variables in the strLib library.

Table 2. strLib system variables
System variable Description
defaultDateFormat Specifies a default pattern to convert a DATE to text.
defaultMoneyFormat Specifies a default pattern to convert a MONEY type to text.
defaultNumericFormat Specifies a default pattern to convert a number to text.
defaultTimeFormat Specifies a default pattern to convert a TIME to text.
defaultTimestampFormat Specifies a default pattern to convert a TIMESTAMP to text.

Constants

The following table shows the system constants in the strLib library.

Table 3. strLib system constants (STRING type)
System constant Description
db2TimestampFormat The pattern yyyy-MM-dd-HH.mm.ss.SSSSSS, which is the IBM® DB2® default timestamp format.
eurDateFormat The pattern dd.MM.yyyy, which is the IBM® European standard date format.
eurTimeFormat The pattern HH.mm.ss, which is the IBM® European standard time format.
isoDateFormat The pattern yyyy-MM-dd, which is the date format that the International Standards Organization (ISO) specifies.
isoTimeFormat The pattern HH.mm.ss, which is the time format that the International Standards Organization (ISO) specifies.
jisDateFormat The pattern yyyy-MM-dd, which is the Japanese Industrial Standard date format.
jisTimeFormat The pattern HH:mm:ss, which is the Japanese Industrial Standard time format.
nullFill The empty string (""), which is used to initialize a character variable to a null value.
odbcTimestampFormat The pattern yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSSSSS, which is the Open Database Connectivity timestamp format.
usaDateFormat The pattern MM/dd/yyyy, which is the IBM® USA standard date format.
usaTimeFormat The pattern hh:mm a, which is the IBM® USA standard time format.

Compatibility

Table 4. Compatibility considerations for strLib
Platform Issue
Rich UI The following strLib functions are not supported:
  • byteLen
  • charAsInt
  • defaultMoneyForm
  • defaultNumericFormat
  • formatNumber
  • getNextToken
  • getTokenCount
  • intAsChar
  • intAsUnicode
  • setBlankTerminator
  • setNullTerminator
  • unicodeAsInt
COBOL The following strLib functions are not supported:
  • base64Decode
  • base64Encode