For detailed information about date formatting and/or parsing see Data and Time Format.

For detailed information about formatting and/or parsing of any numeric data type see Numeric Format.

For detailed information about locale see Locale.

The base64byte(string) function takes one string argument in base64 representation and converts it to an array of bytes. Its counterpart is the byte2base64(bytearray) function.

The bits2str(bytearray) function takes an array of bytes and converts it to a string consisting of two characters: "0" or "1". Each byte is represented by eight characters ("0" or "1"). For each byte, the lowest bit is at the beginning of these eight characters. The counterpart is the str2bits(string) function.

The bool2num(boolean) function takes one boolean argument and converts it to either integer 1 (if the argument is true) or integer 0 (if the argument is false). Its counterpart is the num2bool(<numeric type>) function.

The bool2num(boolean, typename) function accepts two arguments: the first is boolean and the other is the name of any numeric data type. It takes them and converts the first argument to the corresponding 1 or 0 in the numeric representation specified by the second argument. The return type of the function is the same as the second argument. Its counterpart is the num2bool(<numeric type>) function.

The byte2base64(bytearray) function takes an array of bytes and converts it to a string in base64 representation. Its counterpart is the base64byte(string) function.

The byte2hex(bytearray) function takes an array of bytes and converts it to a string in hexadecimal representation. Its counterpart is the hex2byte(string) function.

The date2long(date) function takes one date argument and converts it to a long type. Its value is equal to the the number of milliseconds elapsed from January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 GMT to the date specified as the argument. Its counterpart is the long2date(long) function.

The date2num(date, unit) function accepts two arguments: the first is date and the other is any time unit. The unit can be one of the following: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, millisec. The unit must be specified as a constant. It can neither be received through an edge nor set as variable. The function takes these two arguments and converts them to an integer. If the time unit is contained in the date, it is returned as an integer number. If it is not contained, the function returns 0. Remember that months are numbered starting from 0. Thus, date2num(2008-06-12, month) returns 5. And date2num(2008-06-12, hour) returns 0.

The date2str(date, string) function accepts two arguments: date and string. The function takes them and converts the date according to the pattern specified as the second argument. Thus, date2str(2008-06-12, "dd.MM.yyyy") returns the following string: "12.6.2008". Its counterpart is the str2date(string, string) function.

The get_field_name(record, integer) function accepts two arguments: record and integer. The function takes them and returns the name of the field with the specified index. Fields are numbered starting from 0.

The get_field_type(record, integer) function accepts two arguments: record and integer. The function takes them and returns the type of the field with the specified index. Fields are numbered starting from 0.

The hex2byte(string) function takes one string argument in hexadecimal representation and converts it to an array of bytes. Its counterpart is the byte2hex(bytearray) function.

The long2date(long) function takes one long argument and converts it to a date. It adds the argument number of milliseconds to January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 GMT and returns the result as a date. Its counterpart is the date2long(date) function.

The long2pacdecimal(long) function takes one argument of long data type and returns its value in the representation of packed decimal number. It is the counterpart of the pacdecimal2long(bytearray) function.

The md5(bytearray) function accepts one argument consisting of an array of bytes. It takes this argument and calculates its MD5 hash value.

The md5(string) function accepts one argument of string data type. It takes this argument and calculates its MD5 hash value.

The num2bool(<numeric type>) function takes one argument of any numeric data type representing 1 or 0 and returns boolean true or false, respectively.

The num2num(<numeric type>, typename) function accepts two arguments: the first is of any numeric data type and the second is the name of any numeric data type. It takes them and converts the first argument value to that of the numeric type specified as the second argument. The return type of the function is the same as the second argument. The conversion is successful only if it is possible without any loss of information, otherwise the function throws exception. Thus, num2num(25.4, int) throws exception, whereas num2num(25.0, int) returns 25.

The num2str(<numeric type>) function takes one argument of any numeric data type and converts it to its string representation. Thus, num2str(20.52) returns "20.52".

The num2str(<numeric type>, int) function accepts two arguments: the first is of any numeric data type and the second is integer. It takes these two arguments and converts the first to its string representation in the radix based numeric system. Thus, num2str(31, 16) returns "1F".

The num2str(<numeric type>, string) function accepts two arguments: the first is of any numeric data type and the second is string. It takes these two arguments and converts the first to its string representation using the format specified as the second argument.

The pacdecimal2long(bytearray) function takes one argument of an array of bytes whose meaning is the packed decimal representation of a long number. It returns its value as long data type. It is the counterpart of the long2pacdecimal(long) function.

The sha(bytearray) function accepts one argument consisting of an array of bytes. It takes this argument and calculates its SHA hash value.

The sha(string) function accepts one argument of string data type. It takes this argument and calculates its SHA hash value.

The str2bits(string) function takes one string argument and converts it to an array of bytes. Its counterpart is the bits2str(bytearray) function. The string consists of the following characters: Each of them can be either "1" or it can be any other character. In the string, each character "1" is converted to the bit 1, all other characters (not only "0", but also "a", "z", "/", etc.) are converted to the bit 0. If the number of characters in the string is not an integral multiple of eight, the string is completed by "0" characters from the right. Then, the string is converted to an array of bytes as if the number of its characters were integral multiple of eight.

The str2bool(string) function takes one string argument and converts it to the corresponding boolean value. The string can be one of the following: "TRUE", "true", "T", "t", "YES", "yes", "Y", "y", "1", "FALSE", "false", "F", "f", "NO", "no", "N", "n", "0". The strings are converted to boolean true or boolean false.

The str2date(string, string) function accepts two string arguments. It takes them and converts the first string to the date according to the pattern specified as the second argument. The pattern must correspond to the structure of the first argument. Thus, str2date("12.6.2008", "dd.MM.yyyy") returns the following date: 2008-06-12.

The str2date(string, string, string, boolean) function accepts three string arguments and one boolean. It takes the arguments and converts the first string to the date according to the pattern specified as the second argument. The pattern must correspond to the structure of the first argument. Thus, str2date("12.6.2008", "dd.MM.yyyy") returns the following date: 2008-06-12 . The third argument defines the locale for the date. The fourth argument specify whether date interpretation should be lenient (true) or not (false). If it is true, the function tries to make interpretation of the date even if it does not match locale and/or pattern. If this function has three arguments only, the third one is interpreted as locale (if it is string) or lenient (if it is boolean).

The str2num(string) function takes one string argument and converts it to the corresponding numeric value. Thus, str2num("0.25") returns 0.25 if the function is declared with double return type, but the same throws exception if it is declared with integer return type. The return type of the function can be any numeric type.

The str2num(string, typename) function accepts two arguments: the first is string and the second is the name of any numeric data type. It takes the first argument and returns its corresponding value in the numeric data type specified by the second argument. The return type of the function is the same as the second argument.

The str2num(string, typename, int) function accepts three arguments: string, the name of any numeric data type and integer. It takes the first argument as if it were expressed in the radix based numeric system representation and returns its corresponding value in the numeric data type specified as the second argument. The return type is the same as the second argument. The third argument can be 10 or 16 for number data type as the second argument (however, radix does not need to be specified as the form of the string alone determines whether the string is decimal or hexadecimal string representation of a number), 10 for decimal type as the second argument and any integer number between Character.MIN_RADIX and Character.MAX_RADIX for int and long types as the second argument.

The str2num(string, typename, string) function accepts three arguments. The first is a string that should be converted to the number, the second is the name of the return numeric data type and the third is the format of the string representation of a number used in the first argument. The type name specified as the second argument can neither be received through the edge nor be defined as variable. It must be specified directly in the function. The function takes the first argument, compares it with the format using system value locale and returns the numeric value of data type specified as the second argument.

The str2num(string, typename, string, string) function accepts four arguments. The first is a string that should be converted to the number, the second is the name of the return numeric data type, the third is the format of the string representation of a number used in the first argument and the fourth is the locale that should be used when applying the format. The type name specified as the second argument can neither be received through the edge nor be defined as variable. It must be specified directly in the function. The function takes the first argument, compares it with the format using the locale at the same time and returns the numeric value of data type specified as the second argument.

The to_string(<any type>) function takes one argument of any data type and converts it to its string representation.

The try_convert(<any type>, typename) function accepts two arguments: the first is of any data type and the second is the name of any other data type. The name of the second argument can neither be received through the edge nor be defined as variable. It must be specified directly in the function. The function takes these arguments and tries to convert the first argument to specified data type. If the conversion is possible, the function converts the first argument to data type specified as the second argument. If the conversion is not possible, the function returns null.

The try_convert(string, nameofdatedatatype, string) function accepts three arguments: the first is of string data type, the second is the name of date data type and the third is a format of the first argument. The date word specified as the second argument can neither be received through the edge nor be defined as variable. It must be specified directly in the function. The function takes these arguments and tries to convert the first argument to a date. If the string specified as the first argument corresponds to the form of the third argument, conversion is possible and a date is returned. If the conversion is not possible, the function returns null.

The try_convert(date, nameofstringdatatype, string) function accepts three arguments: the first is of date data type, the second is the name of string data type and the third is a format of a string representation of a date. The string word specified as the second argument can neither be received through the edge nor be defined as variable. It must be specified directly in the function. The function takes these arguments and converts the first argument to a string in the form specified by the third argument.

The try_convert(<any type>, <any type>, string) function accepts three arguments: two are of any data type, the third is string. The function takes these arguments, tries convert the first argument to the second. If the conversion is successful, the second argument receives the value from the first argument. And the function returns boolean true. If the conversion is not successful, the function returns boolean false and the first and second arguments retain their original values. The third argument is optional and it is used only if any of the first two arguments is string. For example, try_convert("27.5.1942", dateA, "dd.MM.yyyy") returns true and dateA gets the value of the 27 May 1942.