lowerCase()

The strLib.lowerCase() system function returns a copy of a character-type value and sets all the uppercase characters in that copy to lowercase. Numeric values are not affected.

If the input value is of a type other than String, a data conversion strips trailing blanks from the input value. To retain trailing blanks, use the strLib.lowerCaseChar() function instead. A later section gives examples.

To convert lowercase values to uppercase, use the strLib.upperCase() or strLib.upperCaseChar() function.

Syntax

  strLib.lowerCase(
    text STRING? in)
  returns (result STRING?)
text
Input can be any variable or expression that is assignment compatible with the STRING type (see "Assignment compatibility in EGL").
result
A STRING value. If text is null, the function returns a null value.

Example

Consider the following code:
function main()

   // each of the literals has 8 characters 
		myChar CHAR(5)       = "ABC     "; 
		myUnicode UNICODE(5) = "ABC     ";
		myString String      = "ABC     ";
		
   sysLib.writeStdout(StrLib.lowerCase(myChar) + 
      "is, for lowerCase type Char");
   sysLib.writeStdout(StrLib.lowerCaseChar(myChar) + 
      "is, for lowerCaseChar type Char");
   sysLib.writeStdout(StrLib.lowerCase(myUnicode) + 
      "is, for lowerCase type Unicode");
   sysLib.writeStdout(StrLib.lowerCaseChar(myUnicode) + 
      "is, for lowerCaseChar type Unicode");		
		sysLib.writeStdout(StrLib.lowerCase(myString) + 
      "is, for lowerCase type String");
   sysLib.writeStdout(StrLib.lowerCaseChar(myString) + 
      "is, for lowerCaseChar type String");

end
The output is as follows:
abcis, for lowerCase type Char
abc  is, for lowerCaseChar type Char
abcis, for lowerCase type Unicode
abc  is, for lowerCaseChar type Unicode
abc     is, for lowerCase type String
abc     is, for lowerCaseChar type String

The stripping of trailing blanks occurs during a data conversion from a non-String character type to a String. That conversion occurs before the strLib.lowerCase() function runs.

Compatibility

Table 1. Compatibility considerations for lowerCase
Platform Issue
COBOL generation The strLib.lowerCase() function has no effect on double-byte characters.