The document discusses various string and date/time functions in Ring programming language. It describes how to create and manipulate strings, get string length, convert case, access characters, trim strings, compare strings, and convert between strings and lists. It also explains functions to work with dates and times, like getting the current date/time, adding/subtracting days, and converting between dates and epoch seconds.

1. CHAPTER
TWENTYSEVEN
STRINGS
In this chapter we are going to learn about strings creation and manipulation.
27.1 String Literals
Syntax:
cStr = "This is a string"
cStr2 = 'Another string'
cStr3 = :JustAnotherString
cStr4 = `Yet "another" 'string' ! `
27.2 Get String Length
We can get the string length (letters count inside a string) using the len() function
Syntax:
len(string) ---> string length
Example:
cStr = "How are you?"
see cStr + nl
see "String size : " + len(cStr) + nl
27.3 Convert Letters Case
Syntax:
lower(string) ---> convert string letters to lower case
upper(string) ---> convert string letters to UPPER case
Example:
cStr = "Welcome To The Ring Programming Language"
see cStr + nl + upper(cStr) + nl + lower(cStr)
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2. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.3
27.4 Access String Letters
We can access a letter inside a string by the letter index
Syntax:
string[index] ---> get string letter
string[index] = letter # set string letter
Example:
# print user name letter by letter (each letter in new line)
See "Hello, Enter your name : " give cName
for x = 1 to len(cName)
see nl + cName[x]
next
We can use for in to get string letters.
Example:
# print user name letter by letter (each letter in new line)
See "Hello, Enter your name : " give cName
for x in cName
see nl + x
next
We can modify the string letters
Example:
# convert the first letter to UPPER case
See "Enter your name : " give cName
cName[1] = upper(cName[1])
see "Hello " + cName
27.5 Left() Function
We can get a specified number of characters from a string using the Left() function.
The starting position is 1.
Syntax:
Left(string,count)
Example:
see left("Hello World!",5) # print Hello
27.6 Right() Function
We can get a specified number of characters from a string using the Right() function.
27.4. Access String Letters 196

3. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.3
The starting position is the last character on the right.
Syntax:
Right(string,count)
Example:
see Right("Hello World!",6) # print World!
27.7 Trim() Function
We can remove all leading and trailing spaces from a string using the Trim() function.
Syntax:
trim(string)
Example:
cMsg = " Welcome "
see trim(cMsg) # print Welcome
27.8 Copy() Function
We can duplicate a string more than one time using the copy() function.
Syntax:
copy(string,nCount) ---> string replicated nCount times
Example
see copy("***hello***",3) # print ***hello******hello******hello***
27.9 Lines() Function
We can count the number of lines inside a string using the Lines() function.
Syntax:
lines(string) ---> Number of lines inside the string
Example:
cStr = "Hello
How are you?
are you fine?"
see lines(cStr) # print 3
27.7. Trim() Function 197

4. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.3
27.10 Substr() Function
We can work on sub strings inside a string using the substr() function. Using Substr() we can
• Find substring
• Get substring from position to end
• Get Number of characters from position
• Transform Substring To Another Substring
27.11 Find substring
Syntax:
substr(string,substring) ---> the starting position of substring in string
Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the Ring programming language"
see substr(cStr,"Ring") # print 16
27.12 Get substring from position to end
Syntax:
substr(string,position) ---> Get substring starting from position to end
Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the Ring programming language"
nPos = substr(cStr,"Ring") # nPos = 16
see substr(cStr,nPos) # print Ring programming language
27.13 Get Number of Characters From Position
Syntax:
substr(string,position,count) ---> Get characters starting from position
Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the Ring programming language"
nPos = substr(cStr,"Ring") # nPos = 16
see substr(cStr,nPos,4) # print Ring
27.14 Transform Substring To Another Substring
Syntax:
27.10. Substr() Function 198

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substr(string,substring,newsubstring) ---> Transformed string (Match case)
substr(string,substring,newsubstring,1) ---> Transformed string (Ignore case)
Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the New programming language"
see substr(cStr,"New","Ring") + nl # print Welcome to the Ring programming language
see substr(cStr,"new","Ring",1)+ nl # print Welcome to the Ring programming language
27.15 strcmp() Function
We can compare between two strings using the strcmp() function.
Syntax:
strcmp(cString1,cString2) ---> value = 0 if cString1 = cString2
value < 0 if cString1 < cString2
value > 0 if cString1 > cString2
Example:
see strcmp("hello","hello") + nl +
strcmp("abc","bcd") + nl +
strcmp("bcd","abc") + nl
Output:
0
-1
1
27.16 str2list() and list2str() Functions
We can convert string lines to list items using the str2list() function. Also we can convert the list to a string using
list2str() function.
Syntax:
str2list(string) ---> list contains the string lines
list2str(list) ---> string contains the list items
Example:
/* output:
** Items : 4
** Item : Hello
** Item : How are you ?
** Item : are you fine ?
** Item : ok
** list2Str result = Hello
** How are you ?
** are you fine ?
** ok
** Done
*/
27.15. strcmp() Function 199

6. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.3
mystr = "Hello
How are you ?
are you fine ?
ok"
mylist = str2list(mystr)
see "Items : " + len(mylist) + nl
for x in mylist
see "Item : " + x + nl
next
newstr = list2str(mylist)
see "list2Str result = " + newstr
if mystr = newstr
see nl + "Done"
else
see nl + "Error!"
ok
27.16. str2list() and list2str() Functions 200

7. CHAPTER
TWENTYEIGHT
DATE AND TIME
In this chapter we are going to learn about the date and time functions.
28.1 Clock() Function
Syntax:
Clock() ---> The number of clock ticks from program start
Example:
See "Calculate performance" + nl
t1 = clock()
for x = 1 to 1000000 next
see clock() - t1
28.2 ClocksPerSecond() Function
Return how many clocks in one second
Syntax:
clockspersecond() ---> Number of clocks in one second
Example:
# Wait 1 second
t = clock()
while clock() - t <= clockspersecond() end
28.3 Time() Function
We can get the system time using the Time() function.
Example:
See "Time : " + time()
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28.4 Date() Function
We can get the date using the Date() function.
Syntax:
Date() ---> String represent the date "dd/mm/yyyy"
Example:
See "Date : " + date() # Date : 24/05/2015
28.5 TimeList() Function
We can print the date and the time information using the TimeList() function.
Syntax:
TimeList() ---> List contains the time and date information.
The next table presents the list items
index value
1 abbreviated weekday name
2 full weekday name
3 abbreviated month name
4 full month name
5 Date & Time
6 Day of the month
7 Hour (24)
8 Hour (12)
9 Day of the year
10 Month of the year
11 Minutes after hour
12 AM or PM
13 Seconds after the hour
14 Week of the year (sun-sat)
15 day of the week
16 date
17 time
18 year of the century
19 year
20 time zone
21 percent sign
Example:
/* Output:
** Sun abbreviated weekday name
** Sunday full weekday name
** May abbreviated month name
** May full month name
** 05/24/15 09:58:38 Date & Time
** 24 Day of the month
** 09 Hour (24)
28.4. Date() Function 202

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** 09 Hour (12)
** 144 Day of the year
** 05 Month of the year
** 58 Minutes after hour
** AM AM or PM
** 38 Seconds after the hour
** 21 Week of the year (sun-sat)
** 0 day of the week
** 05/24/15 date
** 09:58:38 time
** 15 year of the century
** 2015 year
** Arab Standard Time time zone
** % percent sign
*/
See TimeList()
Example:
See "Day Name : " + TimeList()[2] # Sunday
Example:
See "Month Name : " + TimeList()[4] # May
28.6 AddDays() Function
Syntax:
AddDays(cDate,nDays) ---> Date from cDate and after nDays
Example:
cDate = date()
see cDate + nl # 24/05/2015
cDate = adddays(cDate,10)
see cDate + nl # 03/06/2015
28.7 DiffDays() Function
Syntax:
DiffDays(cDate1,cDate2) ---> number of days (Date1 - Date2)
Example:
cDate1 = date()
see cDate1 + nl # 24/05/2015
cDate2 = adddays(cDate1,10)
see cDate2 + nl # 03/06/2015
see "DiffDays = " + diffdays(cDate1,cDate2) + nl # -10
see "DiffDays = " + diffdays(cDate2,cDate1) + nl # 10
28.6. AddDays() Function 203

10. Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.3
28.8 EpochTime() Function
Syntax:
EpochTime( cDate, cTime ) ---> Epoch Seconds
Example:
###-------------------------------------------------------------
# EpochTime()
# Example --- EpochSec = EpochTime( Date(), Time() )
# Call Format: EpochSec = EpochTime( "15/07/2016", "10:15:30" )
# EpochSec = 1468577730
#---------------------------------------------------------------
Func EpochTime(Date, Time)
arrayDate = split(Date, "/")
arrayTime = split(Time, ":")
Year = arrayDate[3] ; Month = arrayDate[2] ; Day = arrayDate[1]
Hour = arrayTime[1] ; Minute = arrayTime[2] ; Second = arrayTime[3]
cDate1 = Day +"/"+ Month +"/"+ Year
cDate2 = "01/01/" + Year
DayOfYear = DiffDays( cDate1, cDate2)
### Formula
tm_sec = Second * 1
tm_min = Minute * 60
tm_hour = Hour * 3600
tm_yday = DayOfYear * 86400
tm_year = Year - 1900
tm_year1 = ( tm_year - 70) * 31536000
tm_year2 = ( floor(( tm_year - 69) / 4 )) * 86400
tm_year3 = ( floor(( tm_year - 1) / 100 )) * 86400
tm_year4 = ( floor(( tm_year + 299) / 400 )) * 86400
### Result
EpochSec = tm_sec + tm_min + tm_hour + tm_yday + tm_year1 + tm_year2 - tm_year3 + tm_year4
return EpochSec
28.8. EpochTime() Function 204