asc(character )

asc(foo)

returns ASCII value of first character, in this case f

120

chr(number)

chr(120)

returns ASCII character for ASCII value

f

cleararray(array name)

cleararray(fVar)

clears all elements of an array

fix(number)

int(35.6)

returns the integer portion of a number

35

gsub(reg expression, string, variable)

gsub(/\$/,"",$0)

$123.45 $22.50

replaces all dollar signs on the input line with empty string

123.45 22.50

initcaps(string)

initcaps($0)

the end

makes first character of each word uppercase

The End

isnumeric (value)

isnumeric($3)

table number 12

returns 1 if the value in field 3 is a valid numeric value, 0 otherwise

true (1)

lcase(string)

lcase($0)

THE END of the Story

makes all characters in the input line lowercase

the end of the story

left(string, number)

left ($3,5)

zip code 78754-8565

returns the leftmost 5 characters from the third field

78754

length(string)

length($2)

table desk chair

returns the number of characters in the second field

4

logmessage (type, format, parameter1, parameter2)

logmessage("WARN", "Problem on line %s", 3)

writes the message "WARN: Problem on Line 3" into the Map Designer log file

ltrim(string)

ltrim($0)

the table and chair

deletes spaces from the left side of the input line without affecting other spaces on the line

the table and chair

NamePart (part of name, string)

NamePart("f", $0)

Mr. Roger P. Nelson

returns only the specified part of the name, first name, from the input line

Roger

readahead (number)

readahead(200)

reads more lines in the file until it reaches 200 bytes, then goes back to the input line it started on for the next pattern; returns a string containing the number of characters specified in the (number) parameter.

right(string, number)

right(4, $3)

zip code 78754-8565

returns the rightmost 4 characters from the third field

8565

rtrim(string)

rtrim($1)

Mary Ann Wells

deletes spaces from the right side of the first field without affecting other spaces on the line

Mary Ann Wells

sgn(number)

sgn(55-100)

returns a value that indicates the sign of a number, -45 is the number, -1 indicates that it is negative

-1

shift

table chair pen

$1 equals table

$2 equals chair

shift;

moves the input fields left one field, $3 becomes $2, $2 becomes $1, and the original $1 is lost

 

$1 equals chair

$2 equals pen

skip(number)

skip(2);

causes the next 2 lines to not be processed

space(number)

$1 + space(5) + ($2$3)

Name: Joe Smith

returns a string of spaces the specified number long

Name: Joe Smith

split(string, array name, separator)

split($0, info, ":")

Name:Joe

divides a string and puts the parts in an array of the name specified, the separator determines where the string is divided, and the array is indexed with consecutive numbers

info[1] equals "Name"

info[2] equals "Joe"

string(number, string)

string(8, "*")

returns a string consisting of one character repeated the specified number of times, in this case an asterisk repeated 8 times

********

sub(regular expression, string, variable)

sub(/c/,"C", $0)

count the cost of cats

replaces the first occurrence only of c in the input line

Count the cost of cats

substr(string, position, length)

string($2,2,4)

cost $1432.56

returns a portion of a string, field 2, starting at position 2 and extending 4 positions

1432

transliterate (Source character set, target character set, string)

transliterate("1234", "othf", $1)

894537281

replaces one set of characters with another in the first field

89f5h7t8o

trim(string)

trim( " the end ")

deletes spaces from the left and right side of the string without affecting other spaces on the line

the end

ucase(string)

ucase($0)

the End

makes all characters in the input line uppercase

THE END

val(string)

a = val("9453")

returns numeric value for a string that can be read as numeric

a equals 9453