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Functions and Expressions
Use HCL Link functions and expressions to create component rules and map rules.
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.
SETLOGICALORDER
Use this function to convert a bidirectional data object from visually ordered (characters ordered as they are presented for reading) to logically ordered (the order in which text is typed on a keyboard or phonetic order).

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.
  - SETLOGICALORDER
    Use this function to convert a bidirectional data object from visually ordered (characters ordered as they are presented for reading) to logically ordered (the order in which text is typed on a keyboard or phonetic order).
  - SETORIENTATIONLTR
    The SETORIENTATIONLTR function converts the orientation of a text object from right-to-left (RTL) to left-to-right (LTR).
  - SETORIENTATIONRTL
    Use the SETORIENTATIONRTL function to convert the orientation of a text object from left-to-right (LTR) to right-to-left (RTL).
  - SETTEXTSHAPING
    The SETTEXTSHAPING function converts a bidirectional text object from non-shaped to shaped.
  - SETTEXTSHAPINGOFF
    The SETTEXTSHAPINGOFF function removes the shaping from a bidirectional text object.
  - SETVISUALORDER
    The SETVISUALORDER function converts a bidirectional data object from logically ordered to visually ordered.
- 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.
- 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.

SETLOGICALORDER

Use this function to convert a bidirectional data object from visually ordered (characters ordered as they are presented for reading) to logically ordered (the order in which text is typed on a keyboard or phonetic order).

This function is only for use with text objects that have bidirectional properties. The function will have no affect on objects that have no bidirectional properties.

Syntax:: SETLOGICALORDER (single-text-expression , single-text-expression)
Meaning:: SETLOGICALORDER (visually_ordered_text_object , TRUE_or_FALSE_text_object)
Returns:: A logically ordered text object.

The SETLOGICALORDER function changes the order of the data as held in memory (order scheme) of a text object that is being passed as a parameter. The function returns a text object that reflects the order scheme change.

The output of the function will be the data from the original bidirectional item, transformed to match the specified layout (as it would be if it were assigned to a bidirectional item with the specified characteristics). This allows you to use text manipulation functions, such as LEFT or MID, on bidirectional data using the proper understanding of the bidirectional data. For example, LEFT of the logical ordering of a bidirectional item would actually take the rightmost characters of the visual ordering of that item.

Example

The properties of the text objects define the orientation and memory order of data objects found in the data stream.

Text objects defined as right-to-left would be considered as starting from the right character and progressing to the left, until the end of the data. However, the data can be held in memory with the start character (the right most character) being held in the left most position. This memory ordering is defined by the ordering scheme of the object.