I've been using the code Mark provided a few posts up, in several places in my databases:

if(@instr("TQAB", Billing_Code) > 0)
{
  // Take Action
} 

But I'm having trouble with the test in other fields, and I think the syntax is off.  Page 52 of the Q&A 5.0 Application Programming Tools Manual shows the syntax as

@INSTR(x,y)  //Returns the position (an integer) of the first occurrence of the string y in the text x. 

And gives the example #10 = @INSTR(#20,"blue")

Following this example, shouldn't the solution above read

if(@instr(Billing_Code,"TQAB") > 0)
{
  // Take Action
} 

?

In another spot in my databse the code

>#1875:
IF (#4099="" AND (@INSTR(#1875,"T") > 0))
    THEN
    {
     // action
     } 

seems to be working as I want it to.  Funny thing is, the original "TQAB" test seemed to work, too.  I'm going to have to double-check it.

So this is puzzling.  Beyond the question of which is correct for Q&A, which is correct for Sesame?

Hello Scott,

if(@instr("TQAB", Billing_Code) > 0)
{
  // Take Action
}  

Will work as long as Billing_Code is only one character long. Lets say that Billing Code is T. The code says search the string "TQAB" for the the string 'T'. Found it. It is at position 1. Okay is 1 greater than 0. Yes it is so lets run the code in my curly braces.

-Ray

Ah, I think I get it now.  In one case, the contents of BILLING_CODE is tested to see if it is contained in the string "TQAB".  In the second case, the string "T" is tested to see if it is contained in field #1875.

So they're both right.  YAY!  Clearly I need more practice with @INSTR()

From the Programming Guide, page 35:
@INSTR(x,y) Returns the position of the first occurrence of y in x.
X is where you are looking st to find Y
Y is what you are looking for inside X.

Mark's suggestion here was correct: Quote:


Carl's suggestion to use leading and trailing semicolons is also correct.

So, you are looking in MyField to see if the value in Billling_Code is there.
So, X = MyField, and Y = Billing_Code surrounded with semicolons. =
";3500;6472;3444;3481;3751;3915;2897;3939;4029;2318;3907;2075;2834;4883;"

So the following code should Take Action if the Billing Code number is in the string MyField which was defined earlier, with leading and trailing semicolons, with semicolon separators, no spaces.

IF (@INSTR(MyField, ";" + Billing_Code + ";") > 0) THEN {
	// Take Action
	WriteLn("Take Action")
	}  

And what is the result?