Col1 Function

Returns the character position preceding the substring specified in the most recently executed Field function.

Syntax

Col1 ( )

Remarks

The character position is returned as a number. The returned value is local to the routine executing the Field function. The value of Col1 in the routine is initialized as 0.

Col1 returns a value of 0 if:

• No Field function was executed.
• The delimiter expression of the Field function is an empty string or the null value.
• The string is not found.

Examples

The Field function in the following example returns substring "CCC". Col1 ( ) returns 8, the position of the delimiter (/) that precedes CCC.

* Extract third "/"-delimited field.
SubString = Field("AAA/BBB/CCC", "/" ,3)
Position = Col1()       ;* get position of delimiter

In the following example, the Field function returns a substring of two fields with the delimiter (.) that separates them: 4.5. Col1 ( ) returns 6, the position of the delimiter that precedes 4.

* Get fourth and fifth "."-delimited fields.
SubString = Field("1.2.3.4.5.6", ".", 4, 2)
Position = Col1()        ;* get position of delimiter