String Builder

The String Builder action builds a string from multiple constants and variables. This can be used to build (or concatenate) a single output string from multiple strings variables and constants.

Parameter descriptions

Parameter	Description
Format String	Enter the set of text and substitution variables that are used to build the single output string. The Input tab appears when you type the first substitution variable in the form of $(). For example: $(TEMP). A row is added to the Input tab for each substitution variable, in this example TEMP. If you want to include a $ character as part of the text, you must use double $$ characters. Otherwise, the $ character will not appear in the output. For example: $$5.75.
Maximum Output Size	Available when the Use Advanced Properties checkbox is selected. Defaults to 1024. This parameter controls the maximum size of the Output parameter on the Output tab.

Parameter

Description

Format String

Enter the set of text and substitution variables that are used to build the single output string.
The Input tab appears when you type the first substitution variable in the form of $(). For example: $(TEMP).
A row is added to the Input tab for each substitution variable, in this example TEMP.
If you want to include a $ character as part of the text, you must use double $$ characters. Otherwise, the $ character will not appear in the output. For example: $$5.75.

Maximum Output Size

Available when the Use Advanced Properties checkbox is selected.
Defaults to 1024. This parameter controls the maximum size of the Output parameter on the Output tab.

Input tab

The Input tab appears when you type the first substitution variable in the form of $() in the FormatString parameter. The Input tab lets you map substitution variables to variables or constants.

Parameter	Description
Name	A row is added to the Input tab for each substitution variable, in the example TEMP, VATID and BATID would be the added rows. The substitution variable is mapped to any trigger macro, constant, started device variable, trigger local variable, trigger static variable or trigger event variable by selecting the Value cell for the row. Once the cell is selected, a drop down list of the available items is displayed.

Parameter

Description

Name

A row is added to the Input tab for each substitution variable, in the example TEMP, VATID and BATID would be the added rows.
The substitution variable is mapped to any trigger macro, constant, started device variable, trigger local variable, trigger static variable or trigger event variable by selecting the Value cell for the row. Once the cell is selected, a drop down list of the available items is displayed.

Output tab

Parameter	Description
Output	The output variable that receives the result of the multiple input parameters and text concatenated into a single string. For the example Format String: Temperature $(TEMP) celcius from vat $(VATID) batch $(BATID) Where: TEMP is mapped to a device variable with the value of 20 VATID is mapped to a device variable with the value of 100 BATID is mapped to a device variable with the value of 2 Then the output string would be: Temperature 20 celcius from vat 100 batch 2.

Parameter

Description

Output

The output variable that receives the result of the multiple input parameters and text concatenated into a single string.
For the example Format String: Temperature $(TEMP) celcius from vat $(VATID) batch $(BATID)
Where:

TEMP is mapped to a device variable with the value of 20
VATID is mapped to a device variable with the value of 100
BATID is mapped to a device variable with the value of 2
Then the output string would be: Temperature 20 celcius from vat 100 batch 2.

Supported control characters

The String Builder action supports control characters for the output of the action.

The following control character patterns will be accepted:

Pattern	Result
\t	The tab character
\r	The line feed character
\n	The new line character (0x0A)
\xNN	Any character specified in hexadecimal notation, for example \x35 will print the number 5. Warning: use of \x00 to specify an embedded null should not be used.
\0	Null - not supported for embedded nulls. String functions that use the length of the string when processing will not give the expected results.
	Places a backslash \ character