Len
Returns the number of characters in a string or the number of bytes required to store a variable.
Synopsis
Len(string | varname [,delimiter])
Arguments
| string | Any valid string expression. |
| varname | Any valid variable name. |
| delimiter | Optional — A valid string expression which demarcates separate substrings in the target string. If the delimiter is specified but is not part of the string, the Len function returns 1. |
Description
The Len function returns the number of characters in a specified string or in the value of a specified variable. Numbers are converted to canonical form, with leading and trailing zeroes and plus signs removed. An empty string ("") returns a length of 0. An undefined variable returns a length of 0.
Examples
The following example uses the Len function to return the number of characters in a string:
Println Len("InterSystems") ' Returns 12
Println Len(+0099.900) ' Returns 4
Println Len("0099.900") ' Returns 8
Println Len("") ' Returns 0
The following example uses the Len function to return the number bytes required to store a variable.
x = 0099.900
y = Now
Println Len(x) ' Returns 4
Println Len(y) ' Returns 21:
' mm/dd/yyyy 00:00:00PM
Println Len(z) ' Returns 0The following example uses the Len function to return the number of substrings delimited by the “/” character in a string:
Dim MyPieces
MyPieces = Len("09/02/1994", "/") 'MyPieces contains 3
Println MyPieces," pieces of the string"
