standard functions (sap library - partner connectivity kit)

4/1/13 Standard Functions (SAP Library - Partner Connectivity Kit)

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Standard Functions

GeneralValues of elements or attributes of the XML message (the payload) are, technically speaking, a string.

Therefore, all standard functions that operate on field values expect string arguments and return a

string value. Nevertheless, the transferred value can of course have a different semantic data type,

namely, the one that you specified when you defined the schema for the payload for the field. Standard

functions exhibit the following standard behavior:

Depending on the standard function, data type conversions are used to ensure that the values are

transferred in a format suitable for the function (using a cast). If the value cannot be interpreted, the

mapping runtime triggers a Java exception.

If-clauses evaluate conditions that return Boolean values. Standard functions that return Boolean

values return the string true or false. Standard functions that expect Boolean values interpret the

values 1 and true (not case-sensitive) as true and all other values as false.

See also: Runtime Behavior

Overview of FunctionsData-flow objects for standard functions are structured as follows:

Most data-flow objects have two or three inbound channels on the left-hand side, and one outbound

channel on the right-hand side.

If functions are shaped as rhombuses or triangles.

There are also conversion functions with one inbound and outbound channel and functions that return a

value without any input.

Standard functions that require additional specifications are indicated with a star ( ). To call the

dialog for Function Properties, double click the data-flow object.

The following figure provides an overview of all the different forms of data-flow objects:



To illustrate how the individual functions are used, the input boxes in the figure above have the variables X,

Y, Z or I, and the result variable is either R or O. All standard functions in the tables below are described

using these input and output variables. In the data-flow editor, other data-flow objects that are connected to

the functions using the connecting boxes either return the input values or receive the result of the operation.

You can combine the functions in any way you require (provided that the values transferred to a function can

be interpreted).

Arithmetic

You can only enter numerical values for this category (this includes values with digits after the decimal

point). If the value cannot be interpreted as a digit, then the system triggers a Java exception. Otherwise, all

calculations are executed with the precision of the Java data type float. The format of the result value

depends on the result:

If the result is a value with digits after the decimal point, these remain unchanged.

Exception: If a zero follows the decimal point, then this is cut off. This means that the result of the

calculation 4.2 0.2 is 4 and not 4.0.

Function Name Function

add R = X + Y

subtract R = X - Y

equalsA R = true, if value X equals value Y, otherwise R = false. The values are

interpreted numerically, therefore the value 1.5 is the same as 1.50.

abs O = Absolute value of I

sqrt R is the square root of X

sqr R is the square of X

sign R = 1, when X is a positive number

R = 0, when X equals 0

R = 1, when X is a negative number

neg R = -X

1/x R is the reciprocal of X



power R = XY

less True, when X < Y, otherwise false

greater True, when X > Y, otherwise false

multiply R = X * Y

divide R = X / Y

max R = Maximum of values X and Y

min R = Minimum of values X and Y

ceil O = The smallest possible integer value (up to minus 'infinite) that is not smaller

than the argument I. Corresponds to the Java function

java.lang.Math.ceil().

floor O = The largest possible integer value that is not larger than the argument I.

Corresponds to the Java function java.lang.Math.floor().

round O = Integer value back that is closest to the value of argument I. Corresponds to

the Java function java.lang.Math.round().

counter O = Number of calls for this target-field mapping where you specify the initial value

and the increment of the counter in the function properties.

FormatNum Converts I according to a pattern that you define using the function properties. The

possible patterns are the same as in the Java class java.text.DecimalFormat.

Boolean

All functions in this category expect Boolean input values (see above).

Function Name Function

And R is true if X and Y have the value true. Otherwise, R is false.

Or R is true if X or Y have the value true. Otherwise, R is false.

Not O is false if I has the value true

O is true if I has the value false

Equals Compares both Boolean values X and Y and returns true if both are equal,

otherwise false. Non-Boolean values are interpreted as false (see above).

Use the functions equalsS or compare from the Text category to compare

strings.

notEquals R = Not(Equals(X,Y))

if If condition X is fulfilled (returns true): R = Y

If condition X is not fulfilled (returns false): R = Z

ifWithoutElse If condition X is fulfilled (returns true): R = Y. Otherwise, the target field is not

created.

Constants

Since these functions do not have any input values, they are generating functions.

Function Use

Constant O gets any string constant that you can enter in the dialog for the function

properties.



copyValue For a frequently occurring element, copies the value at a defined position in the

source structure to the assigned target field.

sender O gets the name of the sender business system. Test_Sender_System is

output when you test the message mapping in the Integration Builder.

receiver O returns the name of the receiver business system. Test_Receiver_System

is output when you test the message mapping in the Integration Builder.

Conversions

Function Use

FixValues Executes a value mapping using a fixed value table that you complete

using the function properties. The table is saved together with the most

current message mapping and can only be used once.

Date

The following functions enable you to define the date format for the source or target format using the dialog

for the function properties.

The format adheres to the convention as defined in the standard Java class

java.util.SimpleDateFormat. The function properties dialog provides you with a

wizard that you can use to enter the most frequently used date formats.

Function Use

currentDate Returns the current date using O. This function is a generating function.

DateTrans Converts date format I to another date format O.

DateBefore R = true, when date X comes before date Y, otherwise false

DateAfter R = true, when date X comes after date Y, otherwise false

CompareDates R = 1, when date X is after date Y

R = 0, when date X is the same as date Y

R = -1, when date X is before date Y

Node Functions

Function Use

createIf If there are structuring elements in your target structure that do not exist

in the source structure, insert them using this function. Using condition I

you can control whether the element is inserted or not. You connect the

element in the target structure using O.

removeContexts Removes all higher-level contexts of a source field. In this way, you can

delete all hierarchy levels and generate a list.

replaceValue Replaces the value I with a value that you can define in the dialog for the

function properties.

exists O = true, if the source field assigned to inbound channel I exists in the

XML instance. Otherwise, false.



SplitByValue Inserts a context change for an element.

collapseContexts Replaces all values within all contexts with an empty string. This is a

useful function when used in combination with SplitByValue.

useOneAsMany Replicates a value of a field occurring once to pair it as a record with the

values of a field occurring more than once.

sort Sorts all values of the multiply-occurring inbound field I within the

existing or set context. The sorting process is stable (the order of

elements that are the same is not switched) and it sorts the values in

O(n*log(n)) steps. Using the function properties, you can specify whether

values are to be sorted numerically or lexicographically (case-sensitive or

non case-sensitive) and in ascending or descending order.

sortByKey Like sort, but with two inbound parameters to sort (key/value) pairs.

The sort process can be compared to that of a table with two columns.

Using the first parameter, you pass key values from the first

column, which are used to sort the table. If you have classified the

key values as numeric in the function properties, they must not be

equal to the constant ResultList.SUPPRESS. See also:

ResultList Object

Using the second parameter, you pass the values from the second

column of the table.

If there is a discrepancy between the number of keys and values, the

mapping runtime triggers an exception. The function returns a queue with

the values sorted according to the keys.

mapWithDefault Replaces empty contexts in the inbound queue with a default value,

which you specify in the function properties.

Example:

If Default is the default value and

A|B1,B2| |C| |D

is the inbound queue

then mapWithDefault gets the following outbound queue:

A | B1,B2 | Default | C | Default |D.

The function corresponds to the following combination of standard

functions:

If(

[]field,

exists([]field),

Constant([value=default]))

formatByExample This function has two inbound queues, which must both have the same

number of values. To generate the result queue, the function takes the

values from the first queue and combines them with the context changes

from the second queue.



Statistics

The functions of this function category are designed for source fields that occur more than once in the

source structure (maxOccurs = i > 1).

Function Use

sum R = Sum of values X1 to Xi of a context.

average R = Average of values X1 to Xi of a context

count R = Number of fields in a context (i)

index R = Index i of Xi. In the function properties, you specify the following:

the initial value of i, the increment, and whether the index value is to be

reinitialized at the beginning of every new context, or whether it is to have

the same value for the entire source structure.

Text

In position specifications, the 0 position corresponds to the first character in the string.

Function Use

substring Returns a substring O for a string I. Use the dialog for the function

properties to specify the position of the substring. Example:

substring(Hello, 0,1) = H, means that the substring from Startindex 0

to Endindex 1 (not including position 1) is shown.

concat R = Linking of strings X and Y (without blanks).

Example: X = Mrs.; Y = Miller; R = Mrs.Miller. Use the dialog for the

function properties to insert a separator in the string.

equalsS R = true, if string X equals string Y, otherwise R = false.

indexOf

(2 input parameters)

R = first position at which string Y is found in X and 1 if Y does not

occur at all.

indexOf


R = first position from position Z at which string Y is found in X and 1 if

Y does not occur at all.

lastIndexOf


R = last position at which string Y is found in X and 1 if Y does not

occur at all.

lastIndexOf


R = last position from position z at which string Y is found in X and 1 if

Y does not occur at all.

compare Compares string X with string Y:

R = 0, when the strings are equal

R = positive number i, when X is lexicographically larger than Y

R = negative number i, when X is lexicographically smaller than Y

i specifies the difference between the two strings lexicographically.

The function acts in the same way as the compareTo() method of the

JDK class java.lang.String.

replaceString X: String in which something is to be replaced



Y: String to be replaced in X

Z: String to replace Y

R = String in which each occurrence of Y in X is replaced by Z.

X = "sparring with a purple porpoise"

Y = p

Z = t

R = "starring with a turtle tortoise"

length O = Length of string

endsWith R = true, when Y is the last string in X;

otherwise false.

startsWith


R = true, when Y is the first string in X;

otherwise false.

startsWith


R = true, when Y is the same as X from position Z;

otherwise false.

toUpperCase Converts all lower case letters in I to upper case letters.

trim Removes all white space characters (spaces, tabs, returns) at the start

and end of a string. Acts the same as the trim() method of the JDK class

java.lang.String.

toLowerCase Converts all upper case letters in I to lower case letters.

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