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Functions and Expressions
Use HCL Link functions and expressions to create component rules and map rules.
Inspection functions
You can use this function to test and inspect the object.
ABSENT
The ABSENT function tests for the absence of an object.

Functions and Expressions
Use HCL Link functions and expressions to create component rules and map rules.
- Expressions and evaluations
  The documentation provided here describes HCL Link functions and expressions. Functions and expressions are used to create component rules and map rules.
- Using functions
  A function is an expression that generates an output by performing a certain operation on one or more inputs.
- Syntax of a function
  The following is an example of a function:
- Function argument syntax
  Arguments typically have some restrictions on the expression used for that argument.
- Character-set encoding functions
  Functions that use the HCL Link EXIT architecture convert data to the native character set of the platform as part of the function call.
- General functions
  There are several general functions you can call from map rule to process input.
- Bidirectional functions
  Bidirectional languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are languages in which the text is presented to the user ordered from right to left, but numbers and Latin alphabetic strings within the text are presented left to right.
- Bit manipulation and testing functions
  You can use this function to manipulate and to test a bit in a binary number.
- Cache functions
  Use cache functions to specify a value for each of the cache variables defined for a flow, and additionally, to alter an already specified value for a cache variable.
- Conversion functions
  You can use this function to convert an expression from one datatype to another datatype.
- Date/time functions
  You can use this function to perform various operations on date and time.
- Error handling functions
  You can use this function in evaluating the type of error during map execution.
- External interface functions
  You can use this function to retrieve data from a database from within in a map rule.
- Flow functions
  Use Flow functions to specify a value for each of the flow variables defined for a flow, and additionally, to alter an already specified value for a flow variable.
- Inspection functions
  You can use this function to test and inspect the object.
  - ABSENT
    The ABSENT function tests for the absence of an object.
  - CONTAINSERRORS
    The CONTAINSERRORS function tests a valid object to see whether it contains any objects in error.
  - DELETEFILE
    The DELETEFILE function returns the status of a file deletion command as a single number. DELETEFILE returns 0 for successful file deletion or the appropriate error code if file deletion was not successful.
  - ISALPHA
    You can use ISALPHA when you need to know whether a text string is all alphabetic characters.
  - ISERROR
    The ISERROR function tests an object to see if it is in error.
  - ISLOWER
    The ISLOWER function tests a text object to see if it contains all lowercase alphabetic characters.
  - ISNUMBER
    The ISNUMBER function tests a text object to determine whether it contains all numeric characters.
  - ISUPPER
    The ISUPPER function tests a text object to determine whether it contains all uppercase alphabetic characters.
  - MEMBER
    Use MEMBER when you need to know whether an object occurs within a series.
  - NOT
    Use the NOT function to test a condition and have it return the inverse of its "true" or "false" result. For example, you want the function to return "true" if the condition results in "false".
  - OFFSET
    Use the OFFSET function when you need to know the position of a particular data object within its card object.
  - OR
    Use the OR function to test whether one of a series of conditions is true.
  - PARTITION
    The PARTITION function checks to see if an occurrence of an object belongs to a certain partition. If the object is that partition, "true" is returned. Otherwise, "false" is returned.
  - PRESENT
    The PRESENT function tests for the presence of an object.
  - SIZE
    The SIZE function returns an integer representing the size of a specified object, exclusive of any pad characters.
  - TESTOFF
    The TESTOFF function tests a specified bit in a binary number item to see whether it is off.
  - TESTON
    The TESTON function tests a specified bit in a binary number to see if it is on.
  - VALID
    You can use the VALID function to perform conditional processing based on whether an external interface function executes successfully.
- Logical functions
  Logical functions provide a way to use logical conditions to display one of several values.
- Lookup and reference functions
  These function search operates by scanning the appropriate set of items in sequence, attempting to match the logical condition.
- Math and statistics functions
  Precede all MATHLIB functions with mathlib->
- Text functions
  These functions are used to convert the text item in a map rule.
- XML functions
  There are several XML functions that you can call from component rules and map rules to process input XML data.
- Custom functions
  From the Type Designer or Map Designer, you can create custom functions to call external libraries.
- Date and time format strings
  You can use the listed format strings for numbers, dates and times in functions such as the CURRENTDATETIME, FROMNUMBER, TONUMBER, FROMDATETIME, and TODATETIME.
- Number format strings
  You can create custom number formats by using the given format strings.
- RUN function return codes
  The RUN function return codes and messages might result when using the RUN function.
- Character set codes for CPACKAGE, CSERIESTOTEXT, and CTEXT
  The second argument of the CPACKAGE, CSERIESTOTEXT, and CTEXT functions specifies the character set of the output of the function. The value of the second argument (the character set of the object content), must be a valid character set code.

ABSENT

The ABSENT function tests for the absence of an object.

Syntax:: ABSENT (single-object-expression)
Meaning:: ABSENT (object_to_test)
Returns:: True or false

ABSENT returns "true" if the object_to_test evaluates to "none". If the object_to_test does not evaluate to "none", the function returns "false".

Examples

You can use this function to map an object only if another object is absent. For example, you might want to map BillTo information to the ShipTo fields if the ShipToName is absent.
ABSENT (AreaCode:Phone)
This example evaluates to "true" when AreaCode:Phone evaluates to "none" or evaluates to "false" when AreaCode:Phone does not evaluate to "none".

Related Functions

PRESENT