Type conversion functions
toDate
The toDate function takes an expression as an argument, and returns the expression (containing a date-time value) in the date format as specified in application settings.
This function takes an optional argument dateTimeMapping when the given expression is of text data type. It is used to denote the date-time components for which the values in the text stand for.
Return Type
DATE-TIME
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toDate(<dateTimeMapping>);
(OR)
- <variable>=toDate(<expression>,<dateTimeMapping>);
where,
Examples
- dateTimeString="01,11,2019 1:30:00 pm";
- info toDate(dateTimeString,"MM,d,yyyy");
- // MM,d,yyyy is to denote the components in the expression
- // So the value for MM is 01 (January), the value for d is 11, and the value for yyyy is 2019
- // Assuming that the date time format set in application settings is dd-MMM-yyyy, the value returned is 11-Jan-2019
toDateTime
The toDateTime function takes an expression as an argument, and returns the expression (containing a date-time value) in the date format as specified in application settings.
This function takes an optional argument dateTimeMapping when the given expression is of text data type. It is used to denote the date-time components for which the values in the text stand for.
Return Type
DATE-TIME
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toDateTime(<dateTimeMapping>);
where,
Examples
- currentTime="01-11-2019 13:30:00";//Assuming, date time format set in application settings is dd-MMM-yyyy.
- formatted_date = toDateTime(currentTime,"MM-d-yy");// formatted_date is assigned the value '11-Jan-2019 13:30:00'
- toDecimal
toJSONList
The toJSONList function takes a text JSON array as an argument, and returns it as a list.
Return Type
LIST
Syntax
- <variable>=<json_text>.toJSONList();
where,
Examples
The example below retrieves a value inside Collection from a JSON.
- json_text = "{Name:'Lia Shelton', OrderNo:[343,443,577]}";
- orderNo = json_text.getJSON("OrderNo");
- info orderNo.toJSONList(); // Returns 343,443,577
The example below retrieves IDs of all employees in the form of a Collection from a JSON.
- response = "{\"data\" : [{\"id\":1, \"firstname\":\"John\", \"lastName\":\"Day\"}, {\"id\":2, \"firstname\":\"Patricia\",\"lastname\":\"Boyle\"}]}";
- data=response.getJSON("data");
- json_list = data.toJSONList();
- id_list = List();
- for each item in json_list
- {
- id_list.add(item.getJSON("id"));
- }
- info id_list;// Returns 1,2
toList
The toMap function takes a JSON formatted text as an argument, and returns a key-value pair.
Return Type
KEY-VALUE
Syntax
- <variable>=<json_text>.toMap();
where,
Examples
- products = "{company:Zoho, product:Creator}";
- info products.toMap(); // Returns the key-value pair {"product":"Creator","company":"Zoho"}
toLong
The toLong function takes an expression as an argument, and returns a number.
Return Type
NUMBER
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toLong();
(OR)
- <variable>=toLong(<expression>);
(OR)
- <variable>=<expression>.toNumber();
(OR)
- <variable>=toNumber(<expression>);
where,
Examples
- marks=99.9;
- marks_text="100";
- info toLong(marks);// Returns 99
- info marks_text.toLong();// Returns 100
toMap
The toMap function takes a JSON formatted text as an argument, and returns a key-value pair.
Return Type
KEY-VALUE
Syntax
- <variable>=<json_text>.toMap();
where,
Examples
- products = "{company:Zoho, product:Creator}";
- info products.toMap(); // Returns the key-value pair {"product":"Creator","company":"Zoho"}
toNumber
The toLong function takes an expression as an argument, and returns a number.
Note:
- Decimals when subjected to the toNumber function will lose their fraction parts. Use toDecimal instead.
- If a piece of text has alphanumeric data(say, 1000abc) in it, then toNumber function will throw an error message.
Return Type
NUMBER
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toNumber();
(OR)
- <variable>=toNumber(<expression>);
(OR)
- <variable>=<expression>.toLong();
(OR)
- <variable>=toLong(<expression>);
where,
Examples
- decimal=123.25;
- info decimal.toNumber();// Converts the decimal into a number and returns 123
- num_text="1234";
- info num_text.toNumber();// Returns 1234
- alpha_text="134A123B";
- info alpha_text.toNumber();// Returns error
toString
The toString function takes an expression as input and returns it as text.
Note:
- If the expression is of type date-time, you can specify two optional arguments, dateTimeFormat and timeZone, additionally. The function will return a DATE-TIME expression in the specified dateTimeFormat, converted into the specified time zone.
- If the expression is of type number (milliseconds), you can specify two optional arguments, dateTimeFormat and timeZone, additionally. The function will return a corresponding DATE-TIME expression in the specified dateTimeFormat, converted into the specified time zone. This is currently applicable to all Zoho services except Zoho Creator.
- In services other than Zoho Creator, you can either input expression of DATE-TIME datatype or a TEXT in date-time format in order for the dateTimeFormat and timeZoho parameters to take action. However, in Zoho Creator, the input should strictly be an expression of DATE-TIME datatype, inputting a TEXT value in date-time format will simply return the given value as-is.
- In Zoho Creator, if the function fails to recognize the date-time value, it will simply return the given value in text format. In other services, an error message will be displayed.
- We are working on unifying the differences in behavior between Zoho Creator and other services.
Return Type
TEXT
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toString(<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
(OR)
- <variable>=toString(<expression>,<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
(OR)
- <variable>=<expression>.toText(<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
(OR)
- <variable>=toText(<expression>,<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
where,
Applicable Date-Time Literals
Examples
- marks=100;
- info toString(marks);// Returns "100"
- marks=100;
- info toString(marks);// Returns "100"
- dateValue='01-Jan-2019 10:15:30';
- info toString(dateValue,"MMM dd, yy 'at' hh:mm:ss, E","Europe/Moscow");// Returns "Jan 01, 19 at 07:45:30, Fri"
- milliValue=1596719471334;
- info toString(milliValue,"MMM dd, yy 'at' hh:mm:ss, E","Europe/Moscow");// Returns "Aug 06, 20 at 03:41:11, Thu"
toText
The toText function takes an expression, and returns it as text.
Note:
- If the expression is of type date-time or number (milliseconds), you can specify two optional arguments, dateTimeFormat and timeZone, additionally.
- The function will return the timestamp expression in the specified dateTimeFormat, converted into the specified timeZone.
- If the function fails to recognise the date-time value, it will simply return the given value in text format.
Return Type
TEXT
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toText(<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
(OR)
- <variable>=toText(<expression>,<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
(OR)
- <variable>=<expression>.toString(<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
(OR)
- <variable>=toString(<expression>,<dateTimeFormat>,<timeZone>);
where,
Applicable Date-Time Literals
Examples
- marks=100;
- info toText(marks);// returns "100"
- marks=100;
- info toText(marks);// returns "100"
- dateValue='01-Jan-2019 10:15:30';
- info toText(dateValue,"MMM dd, yy 'at' hh:mm:ss, E","Europe/Moscow");// returns "Jan 01, 19 at 07:45:30, Fri"
- milliValue=1596719471334;
- info toText(milliValue,"MMM dd, yy 'at' hh:mm:ss, E","Europe/Moscow");// Returns "Aug 06, 20 at 03:41:11, Thu"
toTime
The toTime function takes expression, dateTimeMapping, and timeZone as arguments. It returns the expression (representing a date-time value) in the date-time format and (converted to) timezone as specified in application settings.
Note:
- Time zone specified in application settings is considered as the default time zone.
- The dateTimeMapping param is used to specify which values in the expression stand for which date time components.
- The timeZone param is used to denote the time zone in which the given date-time value (in the expression) falls in.
Return Type
DATE-TIME
Syntax
- <variable>=<expression>.toTime(<dateTimeMapping>,<timeZone>);
where,
Application Date-time literals
Examples
//Assuming, date time format set in application settings is dd-MMM-yyyy and Time Zone set in application settings is Indian Standard Time (which is 2 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Moscow)
dateTimeString="01,11,19 1:30:00 pm";
info toTime(dateTimeString,"MM,d,yyyy hh:mm:ss a","Europe/Moscow");//returns 11-Jan-0019 16:00:00
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