MaxString - chart function

MaxString() finds string values in the expression or field and returns the last text value in the text sort order.

Syntax:

MaxString({[SetExpression] [TOTAL [<fld{, fld}>]]} expr)

Return data type: dual

Arguments:

Argument	Description
expr	The expression or field containing the data to be measured.
SetExpression	By default, the aggregation function will aggregate over the set of possible records defined by the selection. An alternative set of records can be defined by a set analysis expression.
TOTAL	If the word TOTAL occurs before the function arguments, the calculation is made over all possible values given the current selections, and not just those that pertain to the current dimensional value, that is, it disregards the chart dimensions. By using TOTAL [<fld {.fld}>], where the TOTAL qualifier is followed by a list of one or more field names as a subset of the chart dimension variables, you create a subset of the total possible values. Defining the aggregation scope

Argument

Description

expr

The expression or field containing the data to be measured.

SetExpression

By default, the aggregation function will aggregate over the set of possible records defined by the selection. An alternative set of records can be defined by a set analysis expression.

TOTAL

If the word TOTAL occurs before the function arguments, the calculation is made over all possible values given the current selections, and not just those that pertain to the current dimensional value, that is, it disregards the chart dimensions.

By using TOTAL [<fld {.fld}>], where the TOTAL qualifier is followed by a list of one or more field names as a subset of the chart dimension variables, you create a subset of the total possible values.

Defining the aggregation scope

Limitations:

If the expression contains no values with a string representation NULL is returned.

Examples and results:

SalesGroup	Amount	MaxString(Team)	MaxString(Date)
East	14000	Delta	2013/08/01
East	20000	Gamma	2013/11/01
East	25000	Alpha	2013/07/01
West	14000	Eta	2013/10/01
West	17000	Epsilon	2013/09/01
West	19000	Zeta	2013/06/01
West	23000	Theta	2013/12/01

Example	Result
MaxString(Team)	There are three values of 20000 for the dimension Amount: two of Gamma (on different dates), and one of Beta. The result of the measure MaxString (Team) is therefore Gamma, because this is the highest value in the sorted strings.
MaxString(Date)	2013/11/01 is the greatest Date value of the three associated with the dimension Amount. This assumes your script has the SET statement `SET DateFormat='YYYY-MM-DD';`'

Data used in example:

TeamData:

LOAD * inline [

SalesGroup|Team|Date|Amount

East|Gamma|01/05/2013|20000

East|Gamma|02/05/2013|20000

West|Zeta|01/06/2013|19000

East|Alpha|01/07/2013|25000

East|Delta|01/08/2013|14000

West|Epsilon|01/09/2013|17000

West|Eta|01/10/2013|14000

East|Beta|01/11/2013|20000

West|Theta|01/12/2013|23000

] (delimiter is '|');