F$ELEMENT(): Difference between revisions

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Added a note and example in regards to the return value when the element doesn't exist
 
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'''String''' is the string containing the element.
'''String''' is the string containing the element.


If the select element does not exist in the string, the delimiter character is returned.
If the selected element does not exist in the string, the delimiter character is returned.


=Example=
=Example=
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$ EIGHTH_DAY = F$ELEMENT(7,"/",DAY_LIST) !non-existent element
$ EIGHTH_DAY = F$ELEMENT(7,"/",DAY_LIST) !non-existent element
$ SHOW SYM EIGHTH_DAY
$ SHOW SYM EIGHTH_DAY
  EIGHTH_DAY = "/"
  EIGHTH_DAY = "/"
  </nowiki>
  </nowiki>



Latest revision as of 12:48, 6 September 2019

F$ELEMENT() is a lexical function that extracts one element from a string of elements. It can be used, among other things, to emulate arrays in DCL.

Format

F$ELEMENT(element-number, delimiter, string)

Element numbers range from 0 to F$LENGTH(string). Delimiter is the character used to delimit the elements in the string. For example, in "JAN/MAR/APR/MAY", the delimiter is "/", and in "John Doe", the delimiter is " ". String is the string containing the element.

If the selected element does not exist in the string, the delimiter character is returned.

Example

$ DAY_LIST = "MON/TUE/WED/THU/FRI/SAT/SUN"

$ MONDAY = F$ELEMENT(0,"/",DAY_LIST)
$ SHOW SYM MONDAY
   MONDAY = "MON"

$ EIGHTH_DAY = F$ELEMENT(7,"/",DAY_LIST) !non-existent element
$ SHOW SYM EIGHTH_DAY
   EIGHTH_DAY = "/"
 

See also