Process Macros › PARSE Macro

PARSE Macro

The PARSE macro segments a text string and puts the segmented contents in variables.

Parameters: PARSE Macro

String to be Segmented—Input

Specifies the string that you want to segment. This string can contain text and variables.

This field is mandatory.

Limits: 1 through 64 characters in length

Variables to be Created—Output

Specifies the name of the variables that are to hold your text segments.

This field is mandatory and can hold from 1 through 64 characters. The names must be in one of the following formats:

varname

Use this format when you want to extract one segment only.

varname1,varname2,...,varnamen

Use this format when you want to extract more than one segment, when the segments are separated by delimiter characters such as a space.

varname1(length1),varname2(length2),...,varnamen(lengthn)

Use this format when you want to extract segments delimited by length.

prefix*

Use this format when you want to put extracted segments into variables &prefix1 through &prefix64.

If you want to skip a portion of the input string during parsing, specify *(n) where n represents the number of units to skip. An asterisk by itself is the same as *(1). Depending on the value in the By Length field, skipping occurs as follows:

• If the value is NO, n segments are skipped.
• If the value is YES, n characters are skipped.

How to Segment the Input String

The following fields determine how to segment the text string:

By Length

Indicates whether you want the segmentation to be by length.

This field accepts a YES or NO response. A NO response indicates that the string is to be segmented first by delimiter and then by length. A YES response indicates that segmentation is to be by length only.

Default: NO

By Delimiter

Specifies the delimiter characters for text segments. You can specify up to 8 alphanumeric or special characters.

Default: A space

Note: If you want to define a series of two characters as a delimiter, those characters must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Preserve Leading and Trailing Blanks?

Specifies whether you want to retain leading and trailing blank spaces after segmentation.

Default: NO

Create Null Variables if Consecutive Delimiters Found?

Specifies whether you want a variable (with a null value) to be created if consecutive delimiters are encountered.

Default: YES

Remainder String Variable Name

Specifies the name of the variable that is to hold the text segment that remains after the specified parsing has been completed.

Limits: 1 through 12 characters in length

Variable Name for Count of Variables Created

Specifies the name of a variable to store the number of variables created (excluding the variable for the remainder string).

Example: PARSE Macro

In the following example, the PARSE macro is used to segment the ABC 123 456 789 input string. The delimiter is the default (space). The segments are placed in the &FRW* variables.

The operations results in the following variables:

• The variable &FRW1 contains the segment ABC
• The variable &FRW2 contains the segment 123
• The variable &FRW3 contains the segment 456
• The variable &FRW4 contains the segment 789

 PROD------ Automation Services : PARSE Macro Parameter Definition -------------
 Command ===>                                                    Function=BROWSE

 .- String to be Segmented ----------------------------------------------------.
 | Input .... ABC 123 456 789                                                  |
 |            (Text String or Variable(s))                                     |
 ’-----------------------------------------------------------------------------’
 .- Variables to be Created ---------------------------------------------------.
 | Output ... FRW*                                                             |
 |            (name or name1,name2... or name1(len),name2(len).. or prefix*)   |
 ’-----------------------------------------------------------------------------’
 .- How to Segment the Input String -------------------------------------------.
 |    By Length ......          (YES or NO)                                    |
 | OR By Delimiter ...          (Eight separate characters may be specified)   |
 |                                                                             |
 | Preserve Leading and Trailing Blanks? ..................... NO  (YES or NO) |
 |                                                                             |
 | Create NULL Variables if consecutive delimiters found? .... YES (YES or NO) |
 |                                                                             |
 | Remainder String Variable Name (If remainder required) ....                 |
 | Variable Name for Count of Variables Created ..............                 |