Database Management Reference Manual

Function	Comments
ABS ( number1 )	Gives the absolute value of a number
ACOS ( number1 )	Gives the arc cosine of a number, in degrees.
ASIN ( number1 )	Gives the arc sine of a number, in degrees.
ATAN ( number1 )	Gives the arc tangent of a number, in degrees.
ATANT ( number1, number2 )
	Gives the arc tangent of number1/number2, in degrees, with the appropriate sign.
ALOG ( number1 )	Gives the exponential function (natural anti-log) of a number.
ARRAY(pos or dir or ori)
	Converts a position, direction or orientation value or attribute into three numbers.
ARRAYSIZE ( variable-name )
	Gives the size of an array variable.
ARRAYWIDTH( variable-name )
	Gives the largest display width of any string in array variable-name.
COMPONENT dir OF pos2	Gives the magnitude of a vector drawn from E0 N0 U0 to pos2, projected in the direction dir1.
INT ( number1 )	Gives the truncated integer value of a number.
SIN ( number1 )	Gives the sine, cosine or tangent value of a number (considered to be in current units of angle (degrees) if value is unqualified).
COS ( number1 )	Gives the sine, cosine or tangent value of a number (considered to be in current units of angle (degrees) if value is unqualified).
TAN ( number1 )	Gives the sine, cosine or tangent value of a number (considered to be in current units of angle (degrees) if value is unqualified).
LENGTH ( text1 )	Gives the length of text1.
LOG ( number1 )	Gives the natural logarithm of a number.
MATCH ( text1, text2 )	Gives the position of the beginning of the leftmost occurrence of text2 in text1. If text2 does not occur in text1, 0 is returned.
MAX ( number1, number2[ , number3 [. . .]]) )
	Gives the maximum value of the arguments.
MIN ( number1, number2[ , number3 [. . .]]) )
	Gives the minimum value of the arguments.
NEGATE	Multiply a number by -1.0.
NINT ( number1 )	Gives the nearest integer to a real. NINT(N+0.5) is equal to N+1 if N is positive or equal to zero, to N if N is negative.
OCCUR ( text1, text2 )	Gives the number of times string text2 occurs in string text1.
REAL ( text1 )	Try to read a number at the beginning of text1.
POWER ( number1, number2 )
	Gives the value of number1 raised to the power number2.
SQRT ( number1 )	Gives the square root of a number.
VVALUE ( variable-name )
	Used for late evaluation of variables. Gives a real value.

Synopsis	ABS ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Returns the absolute value of a real.
Side Effects	None.
Example	ABS ( -3.2 ) -> 3.2
Errors	None.

Synopsis	ASIN ( number1 )	-> number
	ACOS ( number1 )	-> number
	ATAN ( number1 )	-> number
	ATANT ( number1, number2 )	-> number
Description	Return the arc-cosine, arc-sine or arc-tangent of a number, in degrees. ATANT returns the arc-tangent of number1/number2 with the appropriate sign. ATANT is useful where the second value is near or equal to zero. For example, (6 0 ATANT) will give the correct result of 90 degrees, but (6 0 D ATAN) will indicate an error when trying to divide by zero.
Side Effects	None.
Example	ACOS ( 0.8660254 ) -> 30degrees
Errors	Argument of ACOS or ASIN out of range [-1.0,+1.0] ATANT (0.0,0.0) is undefined.

Synopsis	ALOG ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Return the exponential function (natural anti-log) of a number.
Side Effects	Numeric underflow causes the result to be set to zero.
Example	ALOG( -0.7 ) -> 0.4965853
Errors	Floating point overflow.

Synopsis	ARRAY(pos or dir or ori)	-> number
Description	Converts a position, direction or orientation value or attribute into three numbers.
Side Effects	None
Example	ARRAY(e100 ) -> 100 0 0
Errors	None.

Synopsis	ARRAYSize ( variable-name )	-> number
Description	Give the size of an array variable.
Side Effects	If the array variable does not exist, the result is undefined.
Example	ARRAYSIZE(!array) -> 2.0
Errors	The variable is a scalar variable and not an array variable. The variable is an array variable element and not an array variable.

Synopsis	ARRAYWIDTH ( variable-name )	-> number
Description	Give the largest display with of any string in array variable_name.
Side Effects	None.
Example	If an array contains the following values: !ARRAY[1] ’Bread’ !ARRAY[2] ’is’ !ARRAY[3] ’for’ !ARRAY[4] ’life,’ !ARRAY[5] ’not’ !ARRAY[6] ’just’ !ARRAY[7] ’for’ !ARRAY[8] ’breakfast’
	Then ARRAYWIDTH(!ARRAY -> 9 i.e. the length of ’breakfast’.
Errors	The variable is a scalar variable and not an array variable. The variable is an array variable element and not an array variable.

Synopsis	COMPonent dir1 OF pos2	-> text
Description	Returns the magnitude of a vector drawn from E0 N0 U0 to pos2, projected in the direction dir1.
Side Effects	None.
Example	COMP E 45 N of N 0 E 100 U 50 -> 70.710
Errors	None.

Synopsis	DISTConvert ( number )	-> number
Description	Returns a distance value cast from the input number. The input value is converted to its database units (if it is a physical quantity) and then cast to database units of distance (i.e. mm) and presented in current units of distance.
Side Effects	None.
Example	When current distance units are mm distc(1000) distc(10metre) distc( 5pascal) distc (5atm)	-> 1000mm -> 10000mm -> 5mm -> 506625mm
	When current distance units are inch distc(1000) distc(10metre) distc( 5pascal) distc (5atm)	-> 39.4in -> 393.7in -> 0.2in -> 19945.9in
Errors	None.

Synopsis	SINe ( number1 )	-> number
	COSine ( number1 )	-> number
	TANgent ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Return the sine, cosine or tangent value of a number (considered to be in degrees).
Side Effects	None.
Example	COS ( 0.0 ) returns 1.0 TAN ( 45.0 degrees ) returns 1.0 TAN (0.785 radians) ) returns 0.9992
Errors	Division by zero for TAN if the sine is (nearly) equal to zero.

Synopsis	INT ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Return the truncated integer value of a number.
Side Effects	None.
Example	INT ( 1.6 ) -> 1.0 INT ( -23.7 ) -> -23.0
Errors	Integer overflow.

Synopsis	LENgth ( text1 )	-> number
Description	Return the length of text1.
Side Effects	None.
Example	LENGTH ( ’abcdef’ ) -> 6.0 LENGTH ( ’’ ) -> 0.0
Errors	None.

Synopsis	LOG ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Return the natural logarithm of a number.
Side Effects	None.
Example	LOG( 3 ) -> 1 0986123
Errors	Negative arguments.

Synopsis	MATch ( text1 , text2)	-> number
			Description	Return the position of the beginning of the leftmost occurrence of text2 in text1. If text2 does not occur in text1, 0 is returned.
Side Effects	None.
Example	MATCH ( ’abcdef’ , ’cd’ ) -> 3.0 MATCH ( ’abcdef’ , ’x’ ) -> 0.0 MATCH ( ’abcdef’ , ’’ ) -> 1.0
Errors	None.

Synopsis	MAX ( number1 , number2 [ , number3 [ ... ] ] )	-> number
	MIN ( number1 , number2 [ , number3 [ ... ] ] )	-> number
Description	Return the maximum or minimum value of the arguments.
Side Effects	Values being evaluated are assumed to of a common physical quantity. If no unit qualifiers are supplied they are simply numbers. If a physical quantity is defined the result will be in current units of that quantity.
	If unqualified numbers are mixed with unit values they are assumed to be in the current units of that physical quantity. If quantities are in mixed units they are all compared in comparison to a standard unit.
	If quantities are of different types of physical quantities a warning is issued and the numeric result compares the values in their database units. Min and Max return a value with the same dimension as that of their arguments.
Example	MAX ( 1 , 3.4 ) -> 3.4 MIN ( 7.6 , -12.33 , 2.3 ) -> -12.33 MIN (7.6ft, 12.33inch, 1000mm ) -> 12.3 in (current distance units are inch) MAX (7.6ft, 12.33inch, 1000 ) -> 1000in (current distance units are inch) MAX (7.6ft, 12.33inch, 1kg ) -> 2316.5 (database mm equivalent of 7.6ft)
Errors	None.

Synopsis	NEGate ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Multiply a real by -1.0.
Side Effects	None.
Example	NEG ( 1 ) -> -1.0
Errors	None.

Synopsis	NINT ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Return the nearest integer to a real. NINT(N+0.5) is equal to N+1 if N is positive or equal to zero, to N if N is negative.
Side Effects	None.
Example	NINT ( 1.1 ) -> 1.0 NINT ( -23.7 ) -> -24.0 NINT ( 1.5 ) -> 2.0 NINT ( -11.5 ) -> -12.0
Errors	Integer overflow.

Synopsis	OCCUR(text1, text2)	-> integer
Description	Counts the number of times string text2 occurs in string text1
Side Effects	None.
Example	OCCUR (’ABBACCBBBBBAB’, ’BB’) -> 3 OCCUR(’ZZZZZZZZZZZ’, ’A’) -> 0
Errors	None.

Synopsis	REAL ( text1 )	-> number
Description	Try to read a real number at the beginning of text1. Note that if text is in the form of an exponent, (-12E-1 in the third example), there must be no spaces in it. Note: this function was formerly called NUMBER.
Side Effects	Numeric underflow causes the result to be set to zero. If the text string contains units they are ignored and the value only is returned. If the test string contains text that is NOT a valid unit it will generate an error. If the text string is space separated from the number it is completely ignored.
Example	REAL ( ’12.34’) -> 12.34 REAL ( ’ 7.23 E 3 meters’ ) -> 7.23 REAL ( ’ -12E-1 meters ’ ) -> -1.2 REAL (' 1200 fred ' ) -> 1200 REAL (' 1200fred ' ) -> returns an error
	This will return the value of the number in the string IGNORING any unit qualifier. The unit qualifier must still be a valid unit qualifier. This is done so that output from $! And VAR ! commands can still be accepted by the REAL function. Note: The extension of these functions are NOT supported in DARS as they require PML functionality.
Errors	Unable to convert the text into a real number.

Synopsis	POWer ( number1 , number2 )	-> real
Description	Return the value of number1 raised to the power number2.
Side Effects	If the value being raised to a power is that of a physical quantity the result is also of a physical quantity.(in relevant current units). If the resultant quantity is non physical (e.g. by raising to a fractional power, or an extreme power, a warning is given and only the value of quantity is raised to the power. If the power is a physical quantity this also gives a warning.
Example	POWER ( -2 , 3 ) -> -8 POWER ( -2inch , 2 ) -> 4in2 POWER ( 2inch, 3.5 ) -> returns 11.314 with an error (i.e. 2**3.5)
Errors	Floating point overflow. Zero first argument and non-positive second argument (effectively divide by zero). Negative first argument and non-integer second argument.

Synopsis	SQrt ( number1 )	-> number
Description	Return the square root of a real.
Side Effects	Units are consolidated across SQRT. The resultant value will be in current units of that quantity. If the resultant quantity has no recognised physical dimension a warning is given and the value return will be a number relating to the input value in database units.
Example	SQRT ( 4 ) -> 2.0 SQRT ( 4inch2 ) -> 2.0inch sqrt ( 4inch3 ) -> a warning and 256.02 which is sqrt (4*25.4mm)
Errors	Negative argument.

Synopsis	VVALue( variable_name )	-> number
	VVALue( variable_name , number )	-> number
Description	With one argument, returns value of the scalar variable or value of the array variable element as a number. With two arguments, returns value of the element corresponding to the index number as a number. The value of the variable will be returned, irrespective of its units.
	This will return the value of the number in the string IGNORING any unit qualifier. The unit qualifier must still be a valid unit qualifier. This is done so that output from $! And VAR ! commands can still be accepted by the VVAL function. Note: The extension of these functions are NOT supported in DARS as they require PML functionality.
Side Effects	If the scalar variable, the array variable or the array variable element does not exist, the result is undefined.
Example	VVAL ( !array[1] ) -> 1.0 VVAL ( !array , 2 ) -> 0.0
Errors	Scalar variable may not be indexed. For example, VTEXT (!var[1]) ) will return an error. Array variable must have an index. For example, VTEXT ( !array ) ) will return an error. The string can not be converted to a number.