String functions (SPSS Modeler)

String functions

Last updated: Feb 12, 2025

String functions (SPSS Modeler)

With CLEM, you can run operations to compare strings, create strings, or access characters.

In CLEM, a string is any sequence of characters between matching double quotation marks ("string quotes"). Characters (CHAR) can be any single alphanumeric character. They're declared in CLEM expressions using single back quotes in the form of `<character>`, such as `z`, `A`, or `2`. Characters that are out-of-bounds or negative indices to a string will result in undefined behavior.

Note: Comparisons between strings that do and do not use SQL pushback may generate different results where trailing spaces exist.

Table 1. CLEM string functions
Function	Result	Description
`allbutfirst(N, STRING)`	String	Returns a string, which is `STRING` with the first `N` characters removed.
`allbutlast(N, STRING)`	String	Returns a string, which is `STRING` with the last characters removed.
`alphabefore(STRING1, STRING2)`	Boolean	Used to check the alphabetical ordering of strings. Returns true if `STRING1` precedes `STRING2`.
`count_substring(STRING, SUBSTRING)`	Integer	Returns the number of times the specified substring occurs within the string. For example, `count_substring("foooo.txt", "oo")` returns `3`.
`endstring(LENGTH, STRING)`	String	Extracts the last `N` characters from the specified string. If the string length is less than or equal to the specified length, then it is unchanged.
`hasendstring(STRING, SUBSTRING)`	Integer	This function is the same as `isendstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)`.
`hasmidstring(STRING, SUBSTRING)`	Integer	This function is the same as `ismidstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)` (embedded substring).
`hasstartstring(STRING, SUBSTRING)`	Integer	This function is the same as `isstartstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)`.
`hassubstring(STRING, N, SUBSTRING)`	Integer	This function is the same as `issubstring(SUBSTRING, N, STRING)`, where `N` defaults to `1`.
`hassubstring(STRING, SUBSTRING)`	Integer	This function is the same as `issubstring(SUBSTRING, 1, STRING)`, where `N` defaults to `1`.
`isalphacode(CHAR)`	Boolean	Returns a value of true if `CHAR` is a character in the specified string (often a field name) whose character code is a letter. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`. For example, `isalphacode(produce_num(1))`.
`isendstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)`	Integer	If the string `STRING` ends with the substring `SUBSTRING`, then this function returns the integer subscript of `SUBSTRING` in `STRING`. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`.
`islowercode(CHAR)`	Boolean	Returns a value of `true` if `CHAR` is a lowercase letter character for the specified string (often a field name). Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`. For example, both islowercode(``) and `islowercode(country_name(2))` are valid expressions.
`ismidstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)`	Integer	If `SUBSTRING` is a substring of `STRING` but does not start on the first character of `STRING` or end on the last, then this function returns the subscript at which the substring starts. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`.
`isnumbercode(CHAR)`	Boolean	Returns a value of true if `CHAR` for the specified string (often a field name) is a character whose character code is a digit. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`. For example, `isnumbercode(product_id(2))`.
`isstartstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)`	Integer	If the string `STRING` starts with the substring `SUBSTRING`, then this function returns the subscript `1`. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`.
`issubstring(SUBSTRING, N, STRING)`	Integer	Searches the string `STRING`, starting from its `Nth` character, for a substring equal to the string `SUBSTRING`. If found, this function returns the integer subscript at which the matching substring begins. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`. If `N` is not given, this function defaults to `1`.
`issubstring(SUBSTRING, STRING)`	Integer	Searches the string `STRING`. If found, this function returns the integer subscript at which the matching substring begins. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`.
`issubstring_count(SUBSTRING, N, STRING)`	Integer	Returns the index of the `Nth` occurrence of `SUBSTRING` within the specified `STRING`. If there are fewer than `N` occurrences of `SUBSTRING`, `0` is returned.
`issubstring_lim(SUBSTRING, N, STARTLIM, ENDLIM, STRING)`	Integer	This function is the same as `issubstring`, but the match is constrained to start on `STARTLIM` and to end on `ENDLIM`. The `STARTLIM` or `ENDLIM` constraints may be disabled by supplying a value of false for either argument—for example, `issubstring_lim(SUBSTRING, N, false, false, STRING)` is the same as `issubstring`.
`isuppercode(CHAR)`	Boolean	Returns a value of true if `CHAR` is an uppercase letter character. Otherwise, this function returns a value of `0`. For example, both isuppercode(``) and `isuppercode(country_name(2))` are valid expressions.
`last(STRING)`	String	Returns the last character `CHAR` of `STRING` (which must be at least one character long).
`length(STRING)`	Integer	Returns the length of the string `STRING` (that is, the number of characters in it).
`locchar(CHAR, N, STRING)`	Integer	Used to identify the location of characters in symbolic fields. The function searches the string `STRING` for the character `CHAR`, starting the search at the `Nth` character of `STRING`. This function returns a value indicating the location (starting at `N`) where the character is found. If the character is not found, this function returns a value of 0. If the function has an invalid offset `(N)` (for example, an offset that is beyond the length of the string), this function returns $null$ . For example, locchar(`n`, 2, web_page) searches the field called `web_page` for the `n` character beginning at the second character in the field value. Be sure to use single back quotes to encapsulate the specified character.
`locchar_back(CHAR, N, STRING)`	Integer	Similar to `locchar`, except that the search is performed backward starting from the `Nth` character. For example, locchar_back(`n`, 9, web_page) searches the field `web_page` starting from the ninth character and moving backward toward the start of the string. If the function has an invalid offset (for example, an offset that is beyond the length of the string), this function returns $null$ . Ideally, you should use `locchar_back` in conjunction with the function `length(<field>)` to dynamically use the length of the current value of the field. For example, locchar_back(`n`, (length(web_page)), web_page).
`lowertoupper(CHAR)` `lowertoupper (STRING)`	CHAR or String	Input can be either a string or character, which is used in this function to return a new item of the same type, with any lowercase characters converted to their uppercase equivalents. For example, lowertoupper(`a`), `lowertoupper(“My string”)`, and `lowertoupper(field_name(2))` are all valid expressions.
`matches`	Boolean	Returns `true` if a string matches a specified pattern. The pattern must be a string literal; it can't be a field name containing a pattern. You can include a question mark (`?`) in the pattern to match exactly one character; an asterisk (`*`) matches zero or more characters. To match a literal question mark or asterisk (rather than using these as wildcards), use a backslash (`\`) as an escape character.
`replace(SUBSTRING, NEWSUBSTRING, STRING)`	String	Within the specified `STRING`, replace all instances of `SUBSTRING` with `NEWSUBSTRING`.
`replicate(COUNT, STRING)`	String	Returns a string that consists of the original string copied the specified number of times.
`stripchar(CHAR,STRING)`	String	Enables you to remove specified characters from a string or field. You can use this function, for example, to remove extra symbols, such as currency notations, from data to achieve a simple number or name. For example, using the syntax stripchar(`$`, 'Cost') returns a new field with the dollar sign removed from all values. Be sure to use single back quotes to encapsulate the specified character.
`skipchar(CHAR, N, STRING)`	Integer	Searches the string `STRING` for any character other than `CHAR`, starting at the `Nth` character. This function returns an integer substring indicating the point at which one is found or `0` if every character from the `Nth` onward is a `CHAR`. If the function has an invalid offset (for example, an offset that is beyond the length of the string), this function returns $null$ . `locchar` is often used in conjunction with the `skipchar` functions to determine the value of `N` (the point at which to start searching the string). For example, skipchar(`s`, (locchar(`s`, 1, "MyString")), "MyString").
`skipchar_back(CHAR, N, STRING)`	Integer	Similar to `skipchar`, except that the search is performed backward, starting from the `Nth` character.
`startstring(N, STRING)`	String	Extracts the first `N` characters from the specified string. If the string length is less than or equal to the specified length, then it is unchanged.
`strmember(CHAR, STRING)`	Integer	Equivalent to `locchar(CHAR, 1, STRING)`. It returns an integer substring indicating the point at which `CHAR` first occurs, or `0`. If the function has an invalid offset (for example, an offset that is beyond the length of the string), this function returns $null$ .
`subscrs(N, STRING)`	CHAR	Returns the `Nth` character `CHAR` of the input string `STRING`. This function can also be written in a shorthand form as `STRING(N)`. For example, `lowertoupper(“name”(1))` is a valid expression.
`substring(N, LEN, STRING)`	String	Returns a string `SUBSTRING`, which consists of the `LEN` characters of the string `STRING`, starting from the character at subscript N.
`substring_between(N1, N2, STRING)`	String	Returns the substring of `STRING`, which begins at subscript `N1` and ends at subscript `N2`.
`textsplit(STRING, N, CHAR)`	String	`textsplit(STRING,N,CHAR)` returns the substring between the `Nth-1` and `Nth` occurrence of `CHAR`. If `N` is `1`, then it will return the substring from the beginning of `STRING` up to but not including `CHAR`. If `N-1` is the last occurrence of `CHAR`, then it will return the substring from the `Nth-1` occurrence of `CHAR` to the end of the string.
`trim(STRING)`	String	Removes leading and trailing white space characters from the specified string.
`trimstart(STRING)`	String	Removes leading white space characters from the specified string.
`trimend(STRING)`	String	Removes trailing white space characters from the specified string.
`unicode_char(NUM)`	CHAR	Input must be decimal, not hexadecimal values. Returns the character with Unicode value `NUM`.
`unicode_value(CHAR)`	NUM	Returns the Unicode value of `CHAR`.
`uppertolower(CHAR)` `uppertolower (STRING)`	CHAR or String	Input can be either a string or character and is used in this function to return a new item of the same type with any uppercase characters converted to their lowercase equivalents. Remember to specify strings with double quotes and characters with single back quotes. Simple field names should be specified without quotes.

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