TRIM/TRIMB/TRIMF Functions

Removes blank spaces or another specified character from a string.

Syntax

TRIM(string{, removeChar{, type}})

TRIMB(string)

TRIMF(string)

string An expression that evaluates to the string to be trimmed.

removeChar The character to be removed from the string. The default, if the removeChar parameter is omitted, is a space.

Only the first character in removeChar is significant; subsequent characters are ignored.
If removeChar is an empty string, string is returned unchanged.

type A string containing one of the following characters (the default is "R".):

A Removes all occurrences of removeChar.

B Removes both leading and trailing occurrences of removeChar.

L Removes all leading occurrences of removeChar.

M Replaces multiple consecutive occurrences with a single character. Does not remove single leading and trailing occurrences.

R Removes leading and trailing occurrences of removeChar and replaces multiple consecutive occurrences with a single character.

This behaviour can be changed with the TRIM.R2M compatibility option.

T Removes all trailing occurrences of removeChar.

Only the first character in type is significant; subsequent characters are ignored.

Note: If keyword case-insensitivity is selected, this parameter can be in upper or lower case. Otherwise, it must be upper case.

Note: If string comprises removeChar only, the TRIM function trims to a null string. For example:

X = "AAAA"
Y = TRIM(X, "A", "R")

Assigns ' ' to variable Y.

The TRIMB and TRIMF functions are shorthand forms of the TRIM function:

TRIMB(string) removes any trailing spaces from string – equivalent to TRIM(string, " ", "T").

TRIMF(string) removes any leading spaces from string – equivalent to TRIM(string, " ", "L").

NEW.STR = TRIM(OLD.STR, @AM, 'T')

Removes all trailing attribute marks from OLD.STR and assigns the new string to NEW.STR.

X = "@@@BB@@@CC@@@"
Y = TRIM(X, "@")
PRINT Y

Removes leading and trailing occurrences of "@" and replaces multiple consecutive occurrences with a single character; prints the string BB@CC.

STR1 = "1230010029911"
X = TRIM(STR1, "1", 'A')
PRINT X

Removes all occurrences of the number 1 and prints the string 230000299.