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

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Standard Functions
General
Values 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 Functions
Data-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:
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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
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power
R = X
Y
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.
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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.
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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.
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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 X
1
to X
i
of a context.
average R = Average of values X
1
to X
i
of a context
count R = Number of fields in a context (i)
index R = Index i of X
i
. 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
(3 input parameters)
R = first position from position Z at which string Y is found in X and 1 if
Y does not occur at all.
lastIndexOf
(2 input parameters)
R = last position at which string Y is found in X and 1 if Y does not
occur at all.
lastIndexOf
(3 input parameters)
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
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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
(2 input parameters)
R = true, when Y is the first string in X;
otherwise false.
startsWith
(3 input parameters)
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.