Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
Syllabus Content:
11.1 Built-in functions
Use a subset of the built-in functions and program library. This should include those used for:
string/character manipulation
formatting of numbers
Programming environments provide many built-in functions. Some of them are always available to use; some
need to be imported from specialist module libraries.
Built-in functions
STRING Functions
LEFT(ThisString : STRING, x : INTEGER) RETURNS STRING
returns leftmost x characters from ThisString
Example: LEFT("ABCDEFGH", 3) returns "ABC"
RIGHT(ThisString : STRING, x : INTEGER) RETURNS STRING
returns rightmost x characters from ThisString
Example: RIGHT("ABCDEFGH", 3) returns "FGH"
MID(ThisString : STRING, x : INTEGER, y : INTEGER) RETURNS STRING
returns a string of length y starting at position x from ThisString
Example: MID("ABCDEFGH", 2, 3) returns "BCD"
LENGTH(ThisString : STRING) RETURNS INTEGER returns
the integer value representing the length of ThisString
Example: LENGTH("Happy Days") returns 10
LCASE(ThisChar : CHAR) RETURNS CHAR
returns the character value representing the lower case equivalent of ThisChar
Characters that are not upper case alphabetic are returned unchanged
Example: LCASE('W') returns 'w'
UCASE(ThisChar : CHAR) RETURNS CHAR
returns the character value representing the upper case equivalent of ThisChar
Characters that are not lower case alphabetic are returned unchanged
Example: UCASE('a') returns 'A'
TO_UPPER(ThisString : STRING) RETURNS STRING
1 returns a string formed by converting all characters of ThisString to upper case
Example: TO_UPPER("Error 803") returns "ERROR 803"
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Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
TO_LOWER(ThisString : STRING) RETURNS STRING
returns a string formed by converting all characters of ThisString to lower case
Example: TO_LOWER("JIM 803") returns "jim 803"
NUM_TO_STR(x : <data type>) RETURNS STRING
returns a string representation of a numeric value Note:
<data type> may be REAL or INTEGER
Example: NUM_TO_STR(87.5) returns "87.5"
STR_TO_NUM(x : <data type1>) RETURNS <data type2>
returns a numeric representation of a string Note: <data
type1> may be CHAR or STRING
Note: <data type2> may be REAL or INTEGER
Example: STR_TO_NUM("23.45") returns 23.45
IS_NUM(ThisString : STRING) RETURNS BOOLEAN
returns the value TRUE if ThisString represents a valid numeric
value Note: <data type> may be CHAR or STRING
Example: IS_NUM("12.36") returns TRUE
Example: IS_NUM("-12.36") returns TRUE
Example: IS_NUM("12.3a") returns FALSE
ASC(ThisChar : CHAR) RETURNS INTEGER returns
an integer value (the ASCII value) of ThisChar
Example: ASC('A') returns 65
CHR(x : INTEGER) RETURNS CHAR
returns the character whose integer value (the ASCII value) is
x Example: CHR(87)returns 'W'
NUMERIC Functions
INT(x : REAL) RETURNS INTEGER
returns the integer part of x
Example: INT(27.5415) returns 27
RAND(x : INTEGER) RETURNS REAL
returns a real number in the range 0 to x (not inclusive of x)
2 Example: RAND(87) could return 35.43
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Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
DATE Functions
Note: Date format is assumed to be DDMMYYYY unless otherwise stated.
DAY(ThisDate : DATE) RETURNS INTEGER
returns the current day number from ThisDate
Example: DAY(4/10/2003) returns 4
MONTH(ThisDate : DATE) RETURNS INTEGER
returns the current month number from ThisDate
Example: MONTH(4/10/2003) returns 10
YEAR(ThisDate : DATE) RETURNS INTEGER
returns the current year number from ThisDate
Example: YEAR(4/10/2003) returns 2003
DAYINDEX(ThisDate : DATE) RETURNS INTEGER
returns the current day index number from ThisDate where Sunday = 1, Monday = 2, Tuesday =
3 etc.
Example: DAYINDEX(12/05/2020) returns 3
SETDATE(Day, Month, Year : INTEGER) RETURNS DATE
returns a variable of type DATE
NOW() RETURNS DATE
returns the current date
OTHER Functions
EOF(FileName : STRING) RETURNS BOOLEAN
returns TRUE if there are no more lines to be read from file FileName
Note: This function will generate an ERROR if the file is not already open in READ mode
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Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
OPERATORS
Concatenates (joins) two strings
& Example: "Summer" & " " & "Pudding" evaluates to "Summer Pudding"
Note: This operator may also be used to concatenate a character with a string
Performs a logical AND on two Boolean values
AND
Example: TRUE AND FALSE evaluates to FALSE
Performs a logical OR on two Boolean values
OR
Example: TRUE OR FALSE evaluates to TRUE
Performs a logical NOT on a Boolean value
NOT
Example: NOT TRUE evaluates to FALSE
Finds the remainder when one number is divided by another
MOD
Example: 10 MOD 3 evaluates to 1
Finds the quotient when one number is divided by another
DIV
Example 10 DIV 3 evaluates to 3
Programming environments provide many built-in functions. Some of them are always available to use; some
need to be imported from specialist module libraries.
Built-in functions in Visual Basics
Built-in functions - Arithmetic functions: round, truncation.
Example Program - Built-in functions - Arithmetic functions: round, truncation.
Module module1
Sub main()
Dim num As Double
Dim rounded As Integer
Dim squarert As Double
Dim trunc As Integer
Console.Write("Enter a real number")
num = Console.ReadLine()
rounded = Math.Round(num)
squarert = Math.Sqrt(num)
Console.WriteLine("round: " & rounded & vbNewLine & "Square Root: " & squarert)
trunc = Math.Truncate(num)
Console.WriteLine("The number truncated is " & trunc)
Console.WriteLine("This is not always the same as rounded")
Console.ReadKey()
End Sub
End Module
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Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
Example Program - String handling functions length, position, substring, concatenation.
Module module1
Sub main()
Dim theString As String
theString = "Hello Dave, you're my friend now!"
Console.WriteLine(theString)
Console.WriteLine(theString.Length) 'display the string's length
Console.WriteLine(theString.ToUpper) 'display the string in upper case
Console.WriteLine(theString.ToLower) 'display the string in lower case
Console.WriteLine(theString.Contains("Dave")) 'is Dave there?
Console.WriteLine(theString.IndexOf("D")) 'position of D
Console.WriteLine(theString.Substring(12)) 'displays the substring starting at
position 12
Dim newString As String
newString = "Speak to Dave! " & theString 'string concatenation
Console.WriteLine(newString)
Console.ReadKey() 'pause and wait so user can read output.
End Sub
End Module
Example Program - String conversion functions to/from integer, real, date/time.
Module module1
Sub main()
Dim theInt, theReal, theDate As String
theInt = "23021980"
theReal = "230.21980"
theDate = "23-02-1980"
'whole numbers
Console.WriteLine(theInt)
Console.WriteLine(theInt + "1")
Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToInt32(theInt))
Console.WriteLine((Convert.ToInt32(theInt) + 1))
Console.WriteLine()
'real numbers
Console.WriteLine(theReal)
Console.WriteLine(theReal + "1")
Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToDouble(theReal))
Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToDouble(theReal) + 1)
Console.WriteLine()
'dates
Console.WriteLine(theDate)
Console.WriteLine(theDate + "1")
5 Console.WriteLine(DateTime.Parse(theDate))
Console.WriteLine(DateTime.Parse(theDate).AddDays(1))
Console.ReadKey() 'pause and wait so user can read output.
End Sub
End Module
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Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
Summary of VB Functions
Date/Time Functions
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Computer Science 9618
Paper 2. Sec 11.1.) Built-in-Functions with Majid Tahir
Conversion Functions
Format Functions
Math Functions
References:
Cambridge International AS & A level Computer Science Course book by Sylvia Langfield and Dave Duddell
Visual Basics Console Cook Book
7 VB.NET AQA Console Book by Dough Semple
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