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Functions and Expressions
Use HCL Link functions and expressions to create component rules and map rules.
Date and time format strings
You can use the listed format strings for numbers, dates and times in functions such as the CURRENTDATETIME, FROMNUMBER, TONUMBER, FROMDATETIME, and TODATETIME.
Time units
Specifies the symbol and different units used to describe time.

Functions and Expressions
Use HCL Link functions and expressions to create component rules and map rules.
- Expressions and evaluations
  The documentation provided here describes HCL Link functions and expressions. Functions and expressions are used to create component rules and map rules.
- Using functions
  A function is an expression that generates an output by performing a certain operation on one or more inputs.
- Syntax of a function
  The following is an example of a function:
- Function argument syntax
  Arguments typically have some restrictions on the expression used for that argument.
- Character-set encoding functions
  Functions that use the HCL Link EXIT architecture convert data to the native character set of the platform as part of the function call.
- General functions
  There are several general functions you can call from map rule to process input.
- Bidirectional functions
  Bidirectional languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are languages in which the text is presented to the user ordered from right to left, but numbers and Latin alphabetic strings within the text are presented left to right.
- Bit manipulation and testing functions
  You can use this function to manipulate and to test a bit in a binary number.
- Cache functions
  Use cache functions to specify a value for each of the cache variables defined for a flow, and additionally, to alter an already specified value for a cache variable.
- Conversion functions
  You can use this function to convert an expression from one datatype to another datatype.
- Date/time functions
  You can use this function to perform various operations on date and time.
- Error handling functions
  You can use this function in evaluating the type of error during map execution.
- External interface functions
  You can use this function to retrieve data from a database from within in a map rule.
- Flow functions
  Use Flow functions to specify a value for each of the flow variables defined for a flow, and additionally, to alter an already specified value for a flow variable.
- Inspection functions
  You can use this function to test and inspect the object.
- Logical functions
  Logical functions provide a way to use logical conditions to display one of several values.
- Lookup and reference functions
  These function search operates by scanning the appropriate set of items in sequence, attempting to match the logical condition.
- Math and statistics functions
  Precede all MATHLIB functions with mathlib->
- Text functions
  These functions are used to convert the text item in a map rule.
- XML functions
  There are several XML functions that you can call from component rules and map rules to process input XML data.
- Custom functions
  From the Type Designer or Map Designer, you can create custom functions to call external libraries.
- Date and time format strings
  You can use the listed format strings for numbers, dates and times in functions such as the CURRENTDATETIME, FROMNUMBER, TONUMBER, FROMDATETIME, and TODATETIME.
  - Time units
    Specifies the symbol and different units used to describe time.
  - Date units
    Specifies the symbol and different format used to describe date.
  - Binary date and time format strings
    Create custom date and time formats by using the symbols based on the given format strings.
  - Japanese date and time format strings
    You can use these to create custom date and time format.
  - Western date and time format strings
    You can use these format strings to create custom date and time format.
- Number format strings
  You can create custom number formats by using the given format strings.
- RUN function return codes
  The RUN function return codes and messages might result when using the RUN function.
- Character set codes for CPACKAGE, CSERIESTOTEXT, and CTEXT
  The second argument of the CPACKAGE, CSERIESTOTEXT, and CTEXT functions specifies the character set of the output of the function. The value of the second argument (the character set of the object content), must be a valid character set code.

Time units

Specifies the symbol and different units used to describe time.

Symbol: Description
HH24: Hour (based on a 24-hour clock) in two digits (00 to 24)
H24: Hour (based on a 24-hour clock) in one or two digits as needed (0 to 24)
HH12: Hour (based on a 12-hour clock) in two digits (1-12)
H12: Hour (based on a 12-hour clock) in one or two digits as needed (1 to 12)
MM: Minute in two digits (00 to 59)
M: Minute in one or two digits as needed (0 to 59)
SS: Seconds in two digits (00 to 59)
S: Second in one or two digits as needed (0 to 59)
AM/PM: Meridian (AM/PM)
ZZZ: Three character abbreviation for time zone (EST, and so on)
+/-ZZZZ: Hours and minutes before or after Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), also known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
+/-ZZ:ZZ: 4-digit time where the format is a 2-digit hour and 2-digit minute, separated by a colon.
+/-ZZ[:ZZ]: 4-digit time where the format is a 2-digit hour and an optional 2-digit minute, separated by colon.
+/-ZZ[ZZ]: 4-digit time where the format is a 2-digit hour and an optional 2-digit minute.
TZD: 4-digit time where the format is a 2-digit hour and 2-digit minute, separated by a colon. Z on output, if value is +/-00:00.