Variable functions

A variable function performs an action or process on the specified user variable or job submission variable. Variable functions are used instead of another expression. The following functions are available:

Variable Functions

%%CALCDATE and %%$CALCDATE

%%CALCDATE is a numeric function that adds or subtracts a quantity of days from a given date. This function has the following format:

result=%%CALCDATE date +|-quantity

• result: Any user variable or job submission variable.
• date: Date or variable in yymmdd (yyyymmdd for %%$CALCDATE) format. This value must be preceded and followed by a space.
• quantity: Number (or variable that resolves to a number) of days to add or subtract from the date.

  NOTE: On July 2, 2005, %%A resolves to 050630 in any of the following expressions:

• %%A=%%CALCDATE %%DATE -2
• %%A=%%CALCDATE 050702 -%%DAY
• %%A=%%CALCDATE 050628 +2

  NOTE: On July 2, 2005, %%A resolves to 20050630 in any of the following expressions

• %%A=%%$CALCDATE %%$DATE -2
• %%A=%%$CALCDATE 20050702 -%%DAY
• %%A=%%$CALCDATE  20050628 +2

%%SUBSTR

%%SUBSTR is a string function that is used to extract a substring from within a larger string. This function has the following format:

result=%%SUBSTR variable startpos length

• result: Any user variable or job submission variable.
• variable: Any variable.
• startpos: Numeric literal or variable that indicates the first position in the original string from which to extract the substring. The first character is position 1
• length: A number or variable, indicating the length of the substring to extract.

  NOTE: The values specified for both <startpos> and <length> must be (or resolve to) a number greater than zero

  NOTE: In the body or message of an email, %%SUBSTR should be the last statement, for example:

• **Start Message**
  
  %%TIME
  
  Hello world
  
  %%SUBSTR GoodMorning 1 4

  NOTE: In the following series of expressions, %%Number resolves to TWO:

• %%Nstring=ONETWOTHREE
  %%Start=4
  %%Number=%%SUBSTR %%Nstring %%Start 3

%%GETENV <environment variable>

This function retrieves the value of an environment variable. It has the following format: result=%%GETENV <environment variable>.

NOTE: %%A=%%GETENV HOME

%%A resolves to the Control-M/Server user home directory.