The [SUBSTRING] function allows you to extract a portion of a text string from an attribute. This is useful for cleaning up data, for instance, by removing a department number that has been included as a prefix in a department's name.
Syntax
The Syntax is:
[SUBSTRING;StartIndex;NumberOfCharacters;Attribute]
-
StartIndex: The 0-based index from which to start the extraction. For example, an index of
3will start the extraction at the fourth character of the string. -
NumberOfCharacters: The maximum number of characters to return.
-
Attribute: The attribute containing the string you want to extract from (e.g.,
[Department]).
Use Case - Removing a Prefix from a Department Name
In some systems, department names are prefixed with numbers, such as "37 Kullungen barnehage". This can make lists and directories, like those on a public website, appear untidy.
Use the [SUBSTRING] function in an export template to remove the prefix from the department name before it is displayed or sent to another system.
-
Input
[Department]:37 Kullungen barnehage -
Expression:
[SUBSTRING;3;99;[Department]] -
How it Works: The expression starts extracting from index
3(the fourth character), which skips the first three characters (3,7, and the space). It then returns the next 99 characters, which is a number large enough to capture the rest of the string. -
Output:
Kullungen barnehage