SubField - script and chart function

SubField() is used to extract substring components from a parent string field, where the original record fields consist of two or more parts separated by a delimiter.

The Subfield() function can be used, for example, to extract first name and surname from a list of records consisting of full names, the component parts of a path name, or for extracting data from comma-separated tables.

If you use the Subfield() function in a LOAD statement with the optional field_no parameter left out, one full record will be generated for each substring. If several fields are loaded using Subfield() the Cartesian products of all combinations are created.

Syntax:

SubField(text, delimiter[, field_no ])

Return data type: string

Arguments:

Arguments
Argument	Description
text	The original string. This can be a hard-coded text, a variable, a dollar-sign expansion, or another expression.
delimiter	A character within the input text that divides the string into component parts.
field_no	The optional third argument is an integer that specifies which of the substrings of the parent string text is to be returned. Use the value 1 to return the first substring, 2 to return the second substring, and so on. If field_no is a positive value, substrings are extracted from left to right. If field_no is a negative value, substrings are extracted from right to left.

SubField() can be used instead of using complex combinations of functions such as Len(), Right(), Left(), Mid(), and other string functions.

Examples: Chart expressions
Example	Result
SubField(S, ';' ,2)	Returns 'cde' if S is 'abc;cde;efg'.
SubField(S, ';' ,1)	Returns an empty string if S is an empty string.
SubField(S, ';' ,1)	Returns an empty string if S is ';'.
Suppose you have a variable that holds a path name vMyPath, Set vMyPath=\Users\ext_jrb\Documents\Qlik\Sense\Apps;.	In a text & image chart, you can add a measure such as: SubField(vMyPath, '\',-3), which results in 'Qlik', because it is the substring third from the right-hand end of the variable vMyPath.

Examples: Script and chart expressions using SubField

Basic examples

Example	Result
SubField(S, ';' ,2)	Returns 'cde' if S is 'abc;cde;efg'.
SubField(S, ';' ,1)	Returns an empty string if S is an empty string.
SubField(S, ';' ,1)	Returns an empty string if S is ';'.
Suppose you have a variable that holds a path name vMyPath, Set vMyPath=\Users\ext_jrb\Documents\Qlik\Sense\Apps;.	In a text & image chart, you can add a measure such as: SubField(vMyPath, '\',-3), which results in 'Qlik', because it is the substring third from the right-hand end of the variable vMyPath.

Script example 1

Load script

Load the following script expressions and data in the data load editor.

FullName:
					
LOAD * inline [
Name
'Dave Owen'
'Joe Tem'
];

SepNames:

Load Name,
SubField(Name, ' ',1) as FirstName,
SubField(Name, ' ',-1) as Surname
Resident FullName;
Drop Table FullName;

Create a visualization

Create a table visualization in a Qlik Sense sheet with Name, FirstName, and SurName as dimensions.

Result

Name	FirstName	SurName
Dave Owen	Dave	Owen
Joe Tem	Joe	Tem

Explanation

The SubField() function extracts the first substring of Name by setting the field_no argument to 1. Since the value of field_no is positive, a left to right order is followed for extracting the subtring. A second function call extracts the second substring by setting the field_no argument to -1, which extracts the substring following a right to left order.

Script example 2

Load script

Load the following script expressions and data in the data load editor.

LOAD DISTINCT
Instrument,
SubField(Player,',') as Player,
SubField(Project,',') as Project;

Load * inline [
Instrument|Player|Project
Guitar|Neil,Mike|Music,Video
Guitar|Neil|Music,OST
Synth|Neil,Jen|Music,Video,OST
Synth|Jo|Music
Guitar|Neil,Mike|Music,OST
] (delimiter is '|');

Create a visualization

Create a table visualization in a Qlik Sense sheet with Instrument, Player, and Project as dimensions.

Result

Instrument	Player	Project
Guitar	Mike	Music
Guitar	Mike	Video
Guitar	Mike	OST
Guitar	Neil	Music
Guitar	Neil	Video
Guitar	Neil	OST
Synth	Jen	Music
Synth	Jen	Video
Synth	Jen	OST
Synth	Jo	Music
Synth	Neil	Music
Synth	Neil	Video
Synth	Neil	OST

Explanation

This example shows how using multiple instances of the Subfield() function, each with the field_no parameter left out, from within the same LOAD statement creates Cartesian products of all combinations. The DISTINCT option is used to avoid creating duplicate records.

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