HCNVRT: Converting a Date-Time Value to Alphanumeric Format

Syntax: How to Convert a Date-Time Value to Alphanumeric Format

HCNVRT(datetime, '(format)', length, output)

where:

datetime

Date-time

Is the date-time value to be converted, the name of a date-time field that contains the value, or an expression that returns the value.

format

Alphanumeric

Is the format of the date-time field enclosed in parentheses and single quotation marks. It must be a date-time format (data type H, up to H23).

length

Integer

Is the number of characters in the alphanumeric field that is returned. You can supply the actual value, the name of a numeric field that contains the value, or an expression that returns the value. If length is smaller than the number of characters needed to display the alphanumeric field, the function returns a blank.

output

Alphanumeric

Is the field that contains the result, or the format of the output value enclosed in single quotation marks. This field must be in alphanumeric format and must be long enough to contain all of the characters returned.

Example: Converting a Date-Time Field to Alphanumeric Format (Reporting)

HCNVRT converts the TRANSDATE field to alphanumeric format. The first function does not include date-time display options for the field; the second function does for readability. It also specifies the display of seconds in the input field.

TABLE FILE VIDEOTR2
PRINT CUSTID TRANSDATE AS 'DATE-TIME' AND COMPUTE
ALPHA_DATE_TIME1/A20 = HCNVRT(TRANSDATE, '(H17)', 17, 'A20');
ALPHA_DATE_TIME2/A20 = HCNVRT(TRANSDATE, '(HYYMDS)', 20, 'A20');
WHERE DATE EQ 2000
END

The output is:

CUSTID  DATE-TIME         ALPHA_DATE_TIME1      ALPHA_DATE_TIME2
------  ---------         ----------------      ----------------
1237    2000/02/05 03:30  20000205033000000     2000/02/05 03:30:00
1118    2000/06/26 05:45  20000626054500000     2000/06/26 05:45:00

Example: Converting a Date-Time Field to Alphanumeric Format (Maintain)

HCNVRT converts the DT1 field to alphanumeric format:

MAINTAIN FILE DATETIME
FOR ALL NEXT ID INTO STK;
COMPUTE
RESULT_HCNVRT/A20 = HCNVRT(STK.DT1,'(HYYMDH)',20, RESULT_HCNVRT);
TYPE "STK(1).DT1 = "STK(1).DT1;
TYPE "RESULT_HCNVRT = " RESULT_HCNVRT;
END