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version 11 (Modified)
String (expression{; format}) 
String
| Parameter | Type | Description | |
| expression | | Expression for which to return the string form | |
| (can be Real, Integer, Long Integer, Date, Time | |||
| String, Text or Boolean) | |||
| format | String | Number | | Display format |
| Function result | String |  | String form of the expression |
Description
The String command returns the string form of the numeric, Date, Time, string or Boolean expression you pass in expression.
If you do not pass the optional format parameter, the string is returned with the appropriate default format. If you pass format, you can force the result string to be of a specific format.
Numeric Expressions
If expression is a numeric expression (Real, Integer, Long Integer), you can pass an optional string format. Following are some examples:
| Example | Result |
| String(2^15) ` Use default format | 32768 (Default format used here) |
| String(2^15;"###,##0 Inhabitants") | 32,768 Inhabitants |
| String(1/3;"##0.00000") | 0.33333 |
| String(1/3) ` Use default format | 0.3333333333333333 (Default format used here) |
| String(Arctan(1)*4) | 3.1415926535897931 (Default format used here) |
| String(Arctan(1)*4;"##0.00") | 3.14 |
| String(-1;"&x") | 0xFFFFFFFF |
| String(-1;"&$") | $FFFFFFFF |
| String(0 ?+ 7;"&x") | 0x80 |
| String(0 ?+ 7;"&$") | $80 |
| String(0 ?+ 14;"&x") | 0x4000 |
| String(0 ?+ 14;"&$") | $4000 |
| String(Num(1=1);"True;;False") | True |
| String(Num(1=2);"True;;False") | False |
The format is specified in the same way as it would be for a number field on a form. See the 4D Design Reference manual for more information about formatting numbers. You can also pass the name of a custom style in format. The custom style name must be preceded by the "|" character.
Date Expressions
If expression is a Date expression, the string is returned using the default format specified in the system.
In the format parameter, you can pass one of the following constants ("Date Display Formats" theme):
| Number | Constant | Example |
| 1 | System date short | 12/29/2006 |
| 2 | System date abbreviated | Sun, Dec 29, 2006 |
| 3 | System date long | Sunday, December 29, 2006 |
| 4 | Internal date short special | 12/29/06 or 12/29/1896 or 12/29/2096 |
| 5 | Internal date long | December 29, 2006 |
| 6 | Internal date abbreviated | Dec 29, 2006 |
| 7 | Internal date short | 12/29/2006 |
| 8 | ISO Date Time | 2006-12-29T00:00:00 |
| 100 | Blank if null | "" instead of 0 |
Notes:
•The ISO Date Time format corresponds to the ISO8601 standard. This format contains a date and a time. For example, the date May 31, 2006 at 1:20 p.m. is written 2006-05-31T13:20:00. It is used for XML processing and with Web services. 4D does not permit storing a date and a time in a single field. However, it is possible to handle dates in this format using the String command.
• The Blank if null constant must be added to the format; it indicates that in the case of a null value, 4D must return an empty string instead of zeros.
These examples assume that the current date is 12/29/2006:
$vsResult:=String(Current date) ` $vsResult gets "12/29/06" $vsResult:=String(Current date;Month Date Year) ` $vsResult gets "December 29, 2006" $vsResult:=String(Current date;ISO Date Time) ` $vsResult gets "2006-12-29T00:00:00"
Time Expressions
If expression is a Time expression, the string is returned using the default HH:MM:SS format. In the format parameter, you can pass one of the following constants ("Time Display Formats" theme):
| Number | Constant | Example |
| 1 | HH:MM:SS | 01:02:03 |
| 2 | HH:MM | 01:02 |
| 3 | Hour Min Sec | 1 hour 2 minutes 3 seconds |
| 4 | Hour Min | 1 hour 2 minutes |
| 5 | HH MM AM PM | 1:02 AM |
| 6 | MM SS | 62:03 |
| 7 | Min Sec | 62 minutes 3 seconds |
| 8 | ISO Date Time | 0000-00-00T01:02:03 |
| 9 | System time short | 01:02:03 |
| 10 | System time long abbreviated | 1•02•03 AM (Mac only) |
| 11 | System time long | 1:02:03 AM HNEC (Mac only) |
| 100 | Blank if null | "" instead of 0 |
Notes:
• For more information about the ISO Date Time format, refer to the note above.
• The Blank if null constant must be added to the format; it indicates that in the case of a null value, 4D must return an empty string instead of zeros.
These examples assume that the current time is 5:30 PM and 45 seconds:
$vsResult:=String(Current time) ` $vsResult gets "17:30:45" $vsResult:=String(Current time;Hour Min Sec) ` $vsResult gets "17 hours 30 minutes 45 seconds"
String Expressions
If expression is of the String or Text type, the command returns the same value as the one passed in the parameter. This can be useful more particularly in generic programming using pointers.
In this case, the format parameter, if passed, is ignored.
Boolean Expressions
If expression is of the Boolean type, the command returns the string "True" or "False" in the language of the application (for example, "Vrai" or "Faux" in a French version of 4D).
In this case, the format parameter, if passed, is ignored.
See Also
Date, Num, Time string.
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