Tech Tip: Finding the number of characters containing a alpha text and text field of a record

PRODUCT: 4D | VERSION: 16 | PLATFORM: Mac & Win

Published On: May 25, 2018

Here is a utility method that will find the total number of characters in a record that contains the alpha text and text fields:

// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
// Name: CHAR_TOTAL_ALPHA_TEXT_FIELDS
// Description: Method will extract the total count of characters in the
// alpha text and text fields of a record.
//
// Parameters:
// $1 (POINTER) - Pointer to the table
// Output:
// $0 (LONGINT) - Number of characters
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------
C_POINTER($1;$table;$fieldPtr)
C_LONGINT($i;$tableNum;$fields;$type;$totalChars)

If (Count parameters=1)
  $table:=$1
  $tableNum:=Table($table)
  $fields:=Get last field number($tableNum)

  $totalChars:=0

  For ($i;1;$fields)
    $fieldPtr:=Field($tableNum;$i)
    $type:=Type($fieldPtr->)

    If (Is field number valid($tableNum;Field($fieldPtr))=True)
      If (($type=2) | ($type=0))
        $totalChars:=$totalChars+Length($fieldPtr->)
      End if
    End if
  End for
  $0:=$totalChars
End if

Here is example of a field with some text:

Here is the utility method in use:

C_LONGINT($charCount)

QUERY([Table_1];[Table_1]ID=1)

$charCount:=CHAR_TOTAL_ALPHA_TEXT_FIELDS (->[Table_2])
// $charCount = 8