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<title>ploticus: functions</title>
<body bgcolor=D0D0EE vlink=0000FF>
<br>
<br>
<center>
<table cellpadding=2 bgcolor=FFFFFF width=550><tr>
<td>
<table cellpadding=2 width=550><tr>
<td><br><h2>functions</h2></td>
<td align=right>
<small>
<a href="../doc/welcome.html"><img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br>
Version 2.41 Mar2009
</small><br><a href="../doc/scripthome.html">Scripts</a>
<td></tr></table>
</td></tr>
<td>
<br>
<br>
<title>Manual page for functions(PL)</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>
Categories of available functions:
<p>
<a href="functions.html#ploticus">
plotting
</a>
<br>
<a href="functions.html#arithmetic">
arithmetic
</a>
<br>
<a href="functions.html#strings">
strings
</a>
<br>
<a href="functions.html#commalists">
commalists
</a>
<br>
<a href="shell.html">
shell
</a>
<br>
<a href="sql.html">
sql
</a>
<br>
<a href="functions.html#dates">
dates
</a>
<br>
<a href="functions.html#times">
times
</a>
<br>
<a href="functions.html#misc">
misc
</a>
<br><br><br>
<h2>HOW TO USE FUNCTIONS</h2>
<p>
A number of functions are available for use in
<a href="scripts.html">
ploticus scripts
</a>
and
<a href="getdata.html">
proc getdata filters
</a>
, for a wide range of purposes including processing of arithmetic, strings
dates, times,
<a href="commalist.html">
commalists
</a>
, and so on.
Functions usually take one or more arguments and return a value.<tt> </tt>
Functions may be used with
<a href="scriptsyntax.html#set">
#set
</a>
,
<a href="scriptsyntax.html#call">
#call
</a>
or as operands in
<a href="scriptsyntax.html#if">
#if/#elseif
</a>
<a href="condex.html">
conditional expressions
</a>
.
<p>
Custom functions may be coded and added to the file <tt>custom.c</tt>,
and accessed like any of the built in functions, except that the
names of custom functions should begin with a
double dollar sign ($$) when invoked from scripts.<tt> </tt>
<br><br><br>
<h2>FUNCTION SYNTAX</h2>
Function names always start with a dollar sign (<b>$</b>).<tt> </tt>
Function arguments are enclosed by parentheses and if more than one
argument, separated by commas (,). For example:
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
<tt>$formatfloat( @NUM, "%7.2f" )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
Function calls may not be nested, ie. function arguments may not be functions.<tt> </tt>
<br><br><br>
<p>
In the following summaries, the function name appears along with a
template for arguments that must be supplied.<tt> </tt>
<br><br><br>
<a name=ploticus></a>
<h2>PLOTTING</h2>
Note: the functions in this section may be used with a double dollar sign ($$)
for faster function name search.<tt> </tt>
Because of the way ploticus script files are parsed,
<tt>#endproc</tt> should be used to terminate any #proc previous to these function calls,
so that the proc executes before the function call.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<b>$inrange( value, axis )</b> or
<br>
<b>$inrange( value, axis, min, max )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return 1 if <i>value</i> within a range on the given <i>axis</i>.<tt> </tt>
<i>min</i> and <i>max</i> are optional; if given they determine the range.<tt> </tt>
If they are not given the range is the range of the axis within the
plotting area.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$icolor( i )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return one of 20 preselected colors. The color sequence was
selected to give good contrast between nearby entries.<tt> </tt>
<i>i</i> allowable range is 1 to 20; values out of this range
are modulo into range.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set COLOR = $icolor( 2 )
<br><br>
</tt></dl>
<p>
<b>$fieldname( n )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the field name assigned to field <i>n</i>. First is 1.<tt> </tt>
If no field name was defined, <tt>noname</tt> is returned.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$dataitem( row, field )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the contents of the item in <i>row</i> and <i>field</i> of
the current data set. <i>row</i> is a number, first is 1.<tt> </tt>
<i>field</i> is either a number or an assigned name.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$defaultinc( min, max )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return a reasonable increment given numeric <i>min</i> and <i>max</i>,
using the same algorithm used with axis stub increments.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set inc = $defaultinc( 0, 200 )</tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$changeunits( axis, newunitspec )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Change the scaling units associated with an existing axis.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#call $changeunits( x, "date nqyy" )</tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$squelch_display( mode )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
#call $squelch_display( 1 ) .. will squelch all drawing activity.
<br>
#call $squelch_display( 0 ) .. will resume drawing activity.
<br>
Note that <tt>#endproc</tt> must terminate any #proc previous to these function calls. (version 2.30+)
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$boundingbox( mode )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
#call $boundingbox( 0 ) .. subsequent drawing does not influence the bounding box and hence the crop
<br>
#call $boundingbox( 1 ) .. restore to normal mode of operation.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Note that <tt>#endproc</tt> must terminate any #proc previous to these function calls. (version 2.30+)
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$data_to_absolute( axis, val )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Given a data location <i>va</i> in either X or Y space (specified by
<i>axis</i>), return the absolute location.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$sleep( n )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Delay for <i>n</i> seconds.
Occasionally useful when viewing plots interactively.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$getclick()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Produce a "More.." button and wait for user to click on it.<tt> </tt>
Upon the click, return.<tt> </tt>
Occasionally useful when viewing plots interactively.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$errmsgpre( tag )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Allows developer to set the first portion of all ploticus error messages to <tt>tag</tt>
(it will stay in effect until explicitly set again).<tt> </tt>
For example, where a web page generates multiple plots it may be useful in identifying
which plot had the error.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$textwidth( text, font, size)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return horizontal width of freetype bounding box.<tt> </tt>
Useful only with freetype fonts, otherwise it returns 0. Suggested/contributed by Erik Zachte.<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$rewritenums( f )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
takes a numeric quantity <i>f</i> and
returns it rewritten for display purposes, applying
numbernotation (as specified in your proc settings or config file).<tt> </tt>
<br><br>
<a name=arithmetic></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>ARITHMETIC AND NUMBERS</h2>
<p>
<b>$arith( exp, format )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Simplistic arithmetic expression evaluator.
<i>exp</i> is an expression made up of numbers and the arithmetic operators
<tt>+ - * /</tt>.<tt> </tt>
No embedded spaces nor parentheses are allowed within the expression.<tt> </tt>
Evaluation is strictly left to right.<tt> </tt>
Unary plus/minus are allowed.<tt> </tt>
In versions 2.30+ scientific notation eg. <tt>3.74e-07</tt> is supported.<tt> </tt>
<i>format</i> is an optional printf(3) display format specifier controlling
the format of the result,
eg. <tt>%.0f</tt>. Default format is <tt>%g</tt>, which should suffice for all but very
large or very small values. For more on format specifiers see your manual page on printf(3).<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $arith(2+8/5)</tt> (result: 2)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $arith(2+-8)</tt> (result: -6)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $arith( 18*1000000000 , "%.f" )
<br>
Example: </tt><tt>#set RESULT = $arith( 18*.0000001 , "%.9f" )
</tt></dl>
<p>
<b>$arithl(exp)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Same as <b>$arith()</b> except
lazy, i.e. non-numeric operands
are accepted and treated as if they were 0.
</dl>
<p>
<b>$isnumber(s)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Returns 1 if <i>s</i> is a valid number, 0 if not.<tt> </tt>
In versions 2.30+ scientific notation is supported.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $isnumber(-0.24)</tt> (result: 1)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $isnumber(=)</tt> (result: 0)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$formatfloat(x,fmt)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Format <i>x</i> using printf-style format string <i>fmt</i>.<tt> </tt>
May also be used to format integers by using a <i>fmt</i> such as <tt>%03.0f</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $formatfloat( 3.4425, "%3.2f" )</tt> (result: 3.44)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$inr(n,lo,hi)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
See if <i>n</i> is within the numeric range of <i>lo</i>
to <i>hi</i>. Returns 1 if so, 0 if not. Non-numeric <i>n</i> always returns 0.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$numgroup( val, h, mode )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Convert <i>val</i> to a nearby multiple of <i>h</i>.<tt> </tt>
Useful in grouping a set of numbers into bins.<tt> </tt>
<i>mode</i> may be either <tt>low</tt>, <tt>mid</tt>, or <tt>high</tt>.
For example, if f is 73 and h is 10, function returns 70, 75, or 80 for modes
<tt>low</tt>, <tt>mid</tt>, <tt>high</tt> respectively.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$autoround(val,d)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Round <i>val</i> to a reasonable precision.<tt> </tt>
Use a value of 0 for <i>d</i> for normal behavior. Increase <i>d</i> to
get more precision, reduce <i>d</i> to get less precision.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set X = $autoround( @X, 0 )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$math(what,a,b)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Various mathematical functions. <i>a</i> and <i>b</i> can be integer or floating point
unless otherwise noted below.<tt> </tt>
<pre>
what returns
---- -------
abs absolute value of <i>a</i>
mod <i>a</i> modulo <i>b</i>
div integer division <i>a</i> / <i>b</i> (<i>a</i> and <i>b</i> must be integers)
pow <i>a</i> raised to <i>b</i>
mag <i>a</i> multiplied by 10 to the <i>b</i>
log+1 the natural log of <i>a</i>, plus 1.0
exp-1 the exponential of <i>a</i>, minus 1.0
sqrt the square root of <i>a</i>
</pre>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set X = $math(abs,-57)</tt> would return <tt>57</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set X = $math(mod,10,6)</tt> would return <tt>4</tt>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$random()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Returns a random number between 0.0 and 1.0.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$ranger( rangespec )</b>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
Convert an integer range specification to an enumerated list of all integers covered.
Range specifications can contain integers separated by commas or dashes, with no embedded spaces.<tt> </tt>
Example:
<br>
<tt>
#set RANGE = "5,8,11-15"
<br>
#set LIST = $ranger( @RANGE )
</tt>
<br>
LIST would then contain <tt> 5,8,11,12,13,14,15 </tt>
<a name=strings></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>STRINGS</h2>
<p>
<b>$len(s)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the length of <i>s</i>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$change(s1,s2,string)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Change all occurances of <i>s1</i> to <i>s2</i> in string.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set T = $change( "<", "<sup>", @T )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$expand( s )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Expand all @variables present in <i>s</i>.<tt> </tt>
Example:
<pre>
#set B = "@A world"
#set A = hello
#set C = $expand( @B )
</pre>
Variable C would then contain <tt>hello world</tt>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$substring(s,n,len)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return a substring of <i>s</i>. Substring begins at character <i>n</i> (first is 1)
for a maximum length of <i>len</i>.<tt> </tt>
This function may also be used to count back from the end of the string and take
a substring-- to do this, specify a negative <i>n</i> (see 2nd example below).<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>$substring( "abcde", 3, 99 )</tt> would give <tt>cde</tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>$substring( "abcde", -2, 99 )</tt> would give <tt>de</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$changechars(clist,s,newchar)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
If string <i>s</i> contains any of chars in <i>clist</i>, change that
character to <i>newchar</i>.
<b>clist</b> may be passed as the word <tt>comma</tt> to represent a comma (,).<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $changechars("*'", @S, "_" )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$deletechars(clist,s)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
If string <i>s</i> contains any of chars in <i>clist</i>, delete that character.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $deletechars("*'",@S)</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$stripws( s, mode )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Remove whitespace characters from <i>s</i>.<tt> </tt>
If mode is "any", all whitespace characters are removed.<tt> </tt>
Otherwise only leading and trailing whitespace is stripped off.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$contains(clist,s)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
If string <i>s</i> contains any of chars in <i>clist</i>, return position
(first=1) of the first occurance. Return 0 if none found.
<i>clist</i> may be passed as the word <tt>comma</tt> to represent a comma (,).<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $contains( "*'", @S )</tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $contains( ",", @S )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$lowerc(string)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the lower-case equivalent of <i>string</i>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $lowerc(HELLO)</tt> (result: <tt>hello</tt>)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$upperc(string)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the upper-case equivalent of <i>string</i>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $upperc(Hello)</tt> (result: <tt>HELLO</tt>)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$capit(string)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the <i>string</i> with first letter capitalized. (added 5/15/08).<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $upperc(hello)</tt> (result: <tt>Hello</tt>)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$strcmp(s,t)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return an integer representation of the difference in magnitude of <i>s</i> and <i>t</i>,
using ascii order.
<br>
Note: don't use this for #if statement equality comparisons; simple <tt>=</tt> and <tt>!=</tt> should
be used instead.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $strcmp(ABC,XY)</tt> (result will be a negative integer)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $strcmp(XY,ABC)</tt> (result will be a positive integer)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$strcat(s,t)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the concatenatation of strings <i>s</i> and <i>t</i>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $strcat(ABC,XY)</tt> (result: <tt>ABCXY</tt>)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$ntoken( n, s [,c] )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the <i>n</i>th whitespace-delimited token in <i>s</i>.<tt> </tt>
Or if <i>c</i> is specified as a single character, it is used as the delimiter... return the <i>n</i>th field in <i>s</i> (added 3/28/08).<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$counttokens( s [,c] )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the number of whitespace-delimited tokens in <i>s</i>.<tt> </tt>
Or if <i>c</i> is specified as a single character, it is used as the delimiter... return the <i>n</i>th field in <i>s</i> (added 5/15/08).<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$extractnum( s )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Extract the first numeric entity embedded anywhere in <i>s</i> and return it.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$wildcmp( s1, s2 )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the result of a wildcard-enabled match s1 vs. s2. s2 can contain wild cards.<tt> </tt>
Return value is 0 on a match, -1 if s1 is "less than" s2, and 1 if s1 is "greater than" s2.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$encrypt( s, salt )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Returns the result of one-way encryption of s. Uses crypt(3C).
salt is optional 2 character perturbation string.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$urlencode( s )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Returns the url-encoded version of s.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$urldecode( s )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Returns the url-decoded version of s.<tt> </tt>
<a name=commalists></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>COMMALISTS</h2>
These functions operate on a string which is in the form of a
<a href="commalist.html">
commalist
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<b>$count(str,list)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Count the number of times <i>str</i> appears in
<i>list</i>. If <i>str</i> is passed as <tt>*</tt> then this function
will count the number of members in the list.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#if $count( "*", "a,b,c" ) = 3</tt> (true)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $count( "hello", "aba,gabba,jabba" )</tt> (result: 0)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $count( "x", "x,y,x,y,y,z,x" )</tt> (result: 3)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$addmember(newmem,list)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Append a new member <i>newmem</i> to end of <i>list</i>.<tt> </tt>
If <i>list</i> is empty before call, result will have one member.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $addmember( "red", @MYLIST )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$deletemember(mem,list)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Remove a member <i>mem</i> from <i>list</i>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $deletemember( "red", @MYLIST )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$nmember(n,list)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Get the <i>n</i>th member of <i>list</i>.
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $nmember( 2, "a,b,c,d,e" )</tt> (result: <tt>b</tt><b>)
</b></dl>
<p>
<b>$commonmembers( list1, list2, mode )
</b><dl>
<dt> <dd>
Detect if <i>list1</i> and <i>list2</i> have any members in common.<tt> </tt>
Returns 0 if no members in common.<tt> </tt>
If <i>mode</i> is <tt>"count"</tt>, then the number in common is returned
(for a,b,c vs. c,d,e this would be 1; for a,a,a vs a,b,c it would be 3).<tt> </tt>
Otherwise, when a match is found 1 is returned immediately.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set MATCH = $commonmembers( "a,b,c,d,e", "c,d,ee", "count" )</tt> (result: <tt>2</tt>)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$homogenous( list )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return 1 if all members of list are the same, 0 if there are any differences
among members.<tt> </tt>
If <i>list</i> has only 1 member, 1 is returned.
If <i>list</i> is empty, 0 is returned.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$makelist( s )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Convert <i>s</i>, a list of items separated by commas and/or whitespace,
and return a commalist.<tt> </tt>
Useful for building commalists from user input.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set LIST = $makelist( "1101 1102 1103" )</tt> (result: <tt>1101,1102,1103</tt>)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set LIST = $makelist( "1101, 1102, 1103" )</tt> (result: <tt>1101,1102,1103</tt>)
<a name=shell></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>SHELL COMMAND INTERFACE</h2>
Functions related to the shell interface are described on the
<a href="shell.html">
#shell manual page
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
<a name=sql></a>
<br><br><br>
<h2>SQL DATABASE INTERFACE</h2>
Functions related to SQL interface are described on the
<a href="sql.html">
#sql manual page
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
<a name=dates></a>
<br><br><br>
<h2>DATES</h2>
<p>
These functions work with
<a href="dates.html">
dates in various notations.<tt> </tt>
</a>
<p>
The default date format is <tt>mmddyy</tt>.<tt> </tt>
Unless otherwise specified, these functions expect date arguments
to be in the "current date format".<tt> </tt>
<p>
<b>$setdatefmt(format)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Set the current date format.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#call $setdatefmt( "yyyymmdd" )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$formatdate(date,newformat)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return <i>date</i>, formatted to <i>newformat</i>.<tt> </tt>
Use to convert dates to different notations, to extract year, month, day
components, or to get weekday equivalent.<tt> </tt>
Available formats are described
<a href="dates.html">
here
</a>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $formatdate( @D, "yyyymmmdd" )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$datevalid(date)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return 1 if <i>date</i> is a valid one in the current date format;
return 0 if it is not.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#if $datevalid(@apptdate) != 1</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$todaysdate()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the current date. It will be in the date format currently in effect.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $todaysdate()</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$daysdiff(date1,date2)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the difference in days between <i>date1</i> and <i>date2</i>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $daysdiff( 011298, 010198 )</tt> (result: 11)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$julian(date)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the julian (number of days since Jan 1, 1970) equivalent of <i>date</i>.<tt> </tt>
<i>date</i> should be a date in current format, or the special symbol <tt>today</tt>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$jultodate(jul)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the date (in current format) that is equivalent to julian value <i>jul</i>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$dateadd(date,ndays)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the date resulting when <i>ndays</i> are added to <i>date</i>.
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $dateadd( 010198, 11 )</tt> (result: 011298)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$dategroup( interval, mode, input )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Take date, datetime, or time <i>input</i> value, and adjust it for
grouping purposes. For example, after a set of dates
are processed using <tt>$dategroup( week, mid, .. )</tt>, the result can be tabulated to
get a weekly distribution.
Allowable <i>interval</i> values are <tt>week month quarter year day hour</tt>.<tt> </tt>
Allowable <i>mode</i> values are <tt>mid</tt> and <tt>first</tt>.<tt> </tt>
First character is sufficient for these two args.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$yearsold(birthdate,testdate)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the integer age in years as of
<i>testdate</i> of a person born on <i>birthdate</i>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $yearsold( 062661, 022098 )</tt> (result: 36)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$setdateparms(parmname,value)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Set a date parameter.
You can set the
<b>pivotyear</b>, <b>strictdatelengths</b>, or <b>lazydates</b> attributes.<tt> </tt>
See the
<a href="config.html">
config file documentation
</a>
for descriptions of these parameters.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example of setting the pivot year: <tt>#set STATUS = $setdateparms(Pivotyear,90)</tt>
<br>
Example of allowing lazy days: <tt>#set STATUS = $setdateparms(Lazydates,days)</tt>
<br>
Example of allowing lazy days and months: <tt>#set STATUS = $setdateparms(Lazydates,both)</tt>
<a name=times></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>TIMES</h2>
These functions work with
<a href="times.html">
time values
</a>
in various notations.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<b>$settimefmt(fmt)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Set the current time notation to <i>fmt</i>.<tt> </tt>
Available notations are <tt>HH:MM:SS</tt>, <tt>HH:MM</tt>, and <tt>MM:SS</tt>.<tt> </tt>
(A leading HH can handle single digit hour values; a leading MM
can handle single digit minute values).<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $settimefmt(MM:SS)</tt>
These functions work with time values.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$time()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the current time in <tt>hh:mm:ss</tt> format.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $time()</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$timevalid(time)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return 1 if <i>time</i> is valid in the current time format;
return 0 if it is not.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#if $timevalid(@appttime) != 1</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$formattime(time,newformat)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Take <i>time</i>, which is in the current time format,
and reformat it using <i>newformat</i>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set t2 = $formattime( "14:22", "hh:mma" )
</tt></dl>
<p>
<b>$timesec()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Get number of seconds since midnight for the current time.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $timesec()</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$tomin(t)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Take <i>t</i> (a value in the current time notation) and return the equivalent,
expressed in # of minutes since 0:00:00. Result is float,
with any seconds expressed as the decimal portion of a minute.
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $tomin( "3:45" )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$frommin(m)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Inverse of $tomin(), where <i>m</i> is a float minutes value.<tt> </tt>
Result is equivalent time in current notation.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $frommin( 3.75 )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$timediff(t1,t2)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Find the difference between two times
<i>t1</i> and <i>t2</i> (both in current notation). Result is expressed
in float minutes (any seconds expressed as fraction of a minute)
<br>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $timediff( "3:43", "2:28" )</tt>
<a name=checksums></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>CHECKSUMS</h2>
Checksum routines use an odd-even algorithm that takes an integer and
computes a checksum digit 0 - 9 or x. This checksum digit may be
used to guard against key errors and transposed digits.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<b>$checksumvalid(s)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Returns 1 if <i>s</i> is a valid
number with checksum. 0 if not.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#if $checksumgood(39) = 1</tt> (result: true)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$checksumencode(i)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Result is integer <b>i</b> with
a checksum digit appended.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set CHECKNUM = $checksumencode(29)</tt> (result: 294)
</dl>
<p>
<b>$checksumnext(s)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Take <i>s</i> which is a number
including trailing checksum digit, and increment the number and
recompute new checksum digit. Result is returned.<tt> </tt>
Example: <tt>#set RESULT = $checksumnext(39) = 1</tt> (result: 41)
<a name=misc></a>
<br><br><br>
</dl>
<h2>MISCELLANEOUS</h2>
<p>
<b>$getenv(varname)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the contents of environment variable <i>varname</i>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$whoami()</b>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
Return a string containing <i>euid,egid</i>, where <i>euid</i> is the
current effective user id, and <i>egid</i> is the current effective group id.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$errormode( mode )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Control the display of error messages. Allowable values for <i>mode</i> are
<tt>stderr</tt> and <tt>stdout</tt>. For command line applications the default is
generally <tt>stderr</tt>; for CGI applications it is <tt>stdout</tt>, so that messages
are visible. To hide error messages in CGI applications, set <i>mode</i> to <tt>stderr</tt>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$uniquename()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return a short identifier generated
using the current date, time to the current second, and process id.
The name will be unique on a per-host basis.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$tmpfilename(tag)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Generate a unique (on a per-host basis) temporary file name, suitable
for use in shell commands. Uses <b>tmpdir</b> as specified in
<a href="config.html">
project config file
</a>
. Format of the name is <i>tmpdir</i><tt>/</tt><i>tag</i><tt>.</tt><i>uniquename</i> where
<i>uniquename</i> is a short name generated using the current date, current time
to the second, and process id. <i>tag</i> may be passed as a zero length string
if desired.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$fileexists( dir, name )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return 1 if the requested file can be opened, 0 otherwise.<tt> </tt>
<i>dir</i> indicates the directory that <i>name</i> is relative to
and may be one of <tt>/</tt>, <tt>scriptdir</tt>, <tt>tmpdir</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<i>dir</i> may also be <tt>datadir</tt> if using shSQL.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set A = $fileexists( tmpdir, "mytmp" )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$rename( pathname, newpathname )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Rename a file.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$unlink( pathname )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Remove a file.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$chmod( pathname, mode )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Do a chmod on pathname, setting it's file permissions to mode.<tt> </tt>
Allowable modes are: 644, 664, 666, 444, 640, and 660.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$cleanname( name )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Strip out any punctuation and control characters
from <i>name</i>, leaving only letters, digits, and underscores.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#set name = $cleanname( @name )</tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$ref( varname ) </b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return the contents of <i>varname</i>. May be useful when a variable contains
the name of another variable, to extract the value of the other variable.<tt> </tt>
Example:
<br>
<pre>
#set A = "hello"
#set B = "A"
#set C = $ref(@B)
</pre>
<br>
C would then contain <tt>hello</tt>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$def( varname ) </b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Return 1 if varname has been set to a value (even if the value is "").<tt> </tt>
Return 0 otherwise.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$isleep( n )</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Delay for <i>n</i> seconds.
</dl>
<p>
<b>$showvars(mode)</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
For debug purposes.
Writes a list of every existing internal variable name to standard output, along with a count.<tt> </tt>
If mode is given as "values" variable contents are also written.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<p>
<b>$fflush()</b>
<dl>
<dt> <dd>
Flush standard output buffer. With <tt>quisp</tt> this can be used to immediately display
all content available so far.<tt> </tt>
<br>
<br>
</td></tr>
<td align=right>
<a href="../doc/welcome.html">
<img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br><small>data display engine <br>
<a href="../doc/Copyright.html">Copyright Steve Grubb</a>
<br>
<br>
<center>
<img src="../gallery/all.gif">
</center>
</td></tr>
</table>
<br>
<center>
<table><tr><td>
Ploticus is hosted at http://ploticus.sourceforge.net</td><td> </td><td>
<a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/ploticus"><img src="http://sflogo.sourceforge.net/sflogo.php?group_id=38453&type=12"
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</dl>
<p><hr>
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