# Text functions
Following, find reference topics for text functions that work with recipe actions.
**Topics**
+ [CHAR](recipe-actions.functions.CHAR.md)
+ [ENDS\$1WITH](recipe-actions.functions.ENDS_WITH.md)
+ [EXACT](recipe-actions.functions.EXACT.md)
+ [FIND](recipe-actions.functions.FIND.md)
+ [LEFT](recipe-actions.functions.LEFT.md)
+ [LEN](recipe-actions.functions.LEN.md)
+ [LOWER](recipe-actions.functions.LOWER.md)
+ [MERGE\$1COLUMNS\$1AND\$1VALUES](recipe-actions.functions.MERGE.md)
+ [PROPER](recipe-actions.functions.PROPER.md)
+ [REMOVE\$1SYMBOLS](recipe-actions.functions.REMOVE_SYMBOLS.md)
+ [REMOVE\$1WHITESPACE](recipe-actions.functions.REMOVE_WHITESPACE.md)
+ [REPEAT\$1STRING](recipe-actions.functions.REPEAT.md)
+ [RIGHT](recipe-actions.functions.RIGHT.md)
+ [RIGHT\$1FIND](recipe-actions.functions.RIGHT_FIND.md)
+ [STARTS\$1WITH](recipe-actions.functions.STARTS_WITH.md)
+ [STRING\$1GREATER\$1THAN](recipe-actions.functions.STRING_GREATER_THAN.md)
+ [STRING\$1GREATER\$1THAN\$1EQUAL](recipe-actions.functions.STRING_GREATER_THAN_EQUAL.md)
+ [STRING\$1LESS\$1THAN](recipe-actions.functions.STRING_LESS_THAN.md)
+ [STRING\$1LESS\$1THAN\$1EQUAL](recipe-actions.functions.STRING_LESS_THAN_EQUAL.md)
+ [SUBSTRING](recipe-actions.functions.SUBSTRING.md)
+ [TRIM](recipe-actions.functions.TRIM.md)
+ [UNICODE](recipe-actions.functions.UNICODE.md)
+ [UPPER](recipe-actions.functions.UPPER.md)
# CHAR
Returns in a new column the Unicode character for each integer in the source column, or for a custom integer value.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – An integer that represents a Unicode value.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "CHAR",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "age",
"targetColumn": "age_char"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "CHAR",
"Parameters": {
"value": 42,
"targetColumn": "asterisk"
}
}
}
```
# ENDS\$1WITH
Returns `true` in a new column if a specified number of rightmost characters, or custom string, matches a pattern.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `pattern` – A regular expression that must match the end of the string.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "ENDS_WITH",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "nationality",
"pattern": "[Ss]",
"targetColumn": "nationality_ends_with"
}
}
}
```
# EXACT
Creates a new column populated with one of the following:
+ `True` if one string in a column (or value) exactly matches another string in a different column (or value).
+ `False` if there is no match.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn1` – The name of an existing column.
+ `sourceColumn2` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value1` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `value2` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify only one of the following combinations:
Both of `sourceColumnN`.
One of `sourceColumnN` and one of `valueN`.
Both of `valueN`.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "EXACT",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn1": "nationality",
"value2": "Argentina",
"targetColumn": "nationality_exact"
}
}
}
```
# FIND
Searching left to right, finds strings that match a specified string from the source column or from a custom value, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `pattern` – A regular expression to search for.
+ `position` – The character position to begin with, from the left end of the string.
+ `ignoreCase` – If `true`, ignore differences of case (between uppercase and lowercase) among letters. To enforce strict matching, use `false` instead.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "FIND",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "city",
"pattern": "[AEIOU]",
"position": "1",
"ignoreCase": "false",
"targetColumn": "begins_with_a_vowel"
}
}
}
```
# LEFT
Given a number of characters, takes the leftmost number of characters in the string from the source column or custom string, and returns the specified number of leftmost characters in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `position` – The character position to begin with, from the left end of the string.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "LEFT",
"Parameters": {
"position": "3",
"sourceColumn": "city",
"targetColumn": "city_left"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "LEFT",
"Parameters": {
"position": "5",
"value": "How now brown cow",
"targetColumn": "how_now_5_left_chars"
}
}
}
```
# LEN
Returns in a new column the length of strings from the source column or of custom strings.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "LEN",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "last_name",
"targetColumn": "last_name_len"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "LEN",
"Parameters": {
"value": "Hello",
"targetColumn": "hello_len"
}
}
}
```
# LOWER
Converts all alphabetical characters from the strings in the source column or custom strings to lowercase, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "LOWER",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "last_name",
"targetColumn": "last_name_lower"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "LOWER",
"Parameters": {
"value": "GOODBYE",
"targetColumn": "goodbye_lower"
}
}
}
```
# MERGE\$1COLUMNS\$1AND\$1VALUES
Concatenates the strings in the source columns and returns the result in a new column. You can insert a delimiter between the merged values.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumns` – The names of two or more existing columns, in JSON-encoded format.
+ `delimiter` – Optional. One or more characters to place between each two source column values.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "MERGE_COLUMNS_AND_VALUES",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumns": "[\"last_name\",\"birth_date\"]",
"delimiter": " was born on: ",
"targetColumn": "merged_column"
}
}
}
```
# PROPER
Converts all alphabetical characters from the strings in the source column or custom values to proper case, and returns the result in a new column.
In *proper case,* also called capital case, the first letter of each word is capitalized and the rest of the word is transformed to lowercase. An example is: The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Fence
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "PROPER",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "first_name",
"targetColumn": "first_name_proper"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "PROPER",
"Parameters": {
"value": "MR. H. SMITH, ESQ.",
"targetColumn": "formal_name_proper"
}
}
}
```
# REMOVE\$1SYMBOLS
Removes characters that aren't letters, numbers, accented Latin characters, or white space from the strings in the source column or custom strings, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "REMOVE_SYMBOLS",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "info_url",
"targetColumn": "info_url_remove_symbols"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "REMOVE_SYMBOLS",
"Parameters": {
"value": "$&#$&HEY!#@@",
"targetColumn": "without_symbols"
}
}
}
```
# REMOVE\$1WHITESPACE
Removes white space from the strings in the source column or custom strings, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "REMOVE_WHITESPACE",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "job_desc",
"targetColumn": "job_desc_remove_whitespace"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "REMOVE_WHITESPACE",
"Parameters": {
"value": "This string has spaces in it",
"targetColumn": "string_without_spaces"
}
}
}
```
# REPEAT\$1STRING
Repeats the strings in the source column or custom input value a specified number of times, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `count` – The number of times to repeat the string.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "REPEAT_STRING",
"Parameters": {
"count": 3,
"sourceColumn": "last_name",
"targetColumn": "last_name_repeat_string"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "REPEAT_STRING",
"Parameters": {
"count": 80,
"value": "*",
"targetColumn": "80_stars"
}
}
}
```
# RIGHT
Given a number of characters, takes the rightmost number of characters in the strings from the source column or custom strings, and returns the specified number of rightmost characters in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `position` – The character position to begin with, from the right side of the string.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "RIGHT",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "nationality",
"position": "3",
"targetColumn": "nationality_right"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "RIGHT",
"Parameters": {
"value": "United States of America",
"position": "7",
"targetColumn": "usa_right"
}
}
}
```
# RIGHT\$1FIND
Searching right to left, finds strings that match a specified string from the source column or from a custom value, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `pattern` – A regular expression to search for.
+ `position` – The character position to begin with, from the right end of the string.
+ `ignoreCase` – If `true`, ignore differences of case (between uppercase and lowercase) among letters. To enforce strict matching, use `false` instead.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "RIGHT_FIND",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "nationality",
"pattern": "s",
"position": "1",
"ignoreCase": "true",
"targetColumn": "ends_with_an_s"
}
}
}
```
# STARTS\$1WITH
Returns `true` in a new column if a specified number of leftmost characters, or custom string, matches a pattern.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `pattern` – A regular expression that must match the start of the string.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "STARTS_WITH",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "nationality",
"pattern": "[AEIOU]",
"targetColumn": "nationality_starts_with"
}
}
}
```
# STRING\$1GREATER\$1THAN
Creates a new column populated with one of the following:
+ `True` if one string in a column (or value) is greater than another string in a different column (or value).
+ `False` if there is no match.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn1` – The name of an existing column.
+ `sourceColumn2` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value1` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `value2` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify only one of the following combinations:
Both of `sourceColumnN`.
One of `sourceColumnN` and one of `valueN`.
Both of `valueN`.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "STRING_GREATER_THAN",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn1": "first_name",
"sourceColumn2": "last_name",
"targetColumn": "string_greater_than"
}
}
}
```
# STRING\$1GREATER\$1THAN\$1EQUAL
Creates a new column populated with one of the following:
+ `True` if one string in a column (or value) is greater than or equal to another string in a different column (or value).
+ `False` if there is no match.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn1` – The name of an existing column.
+ `sourceColumn2` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value1` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `value2` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify only one of the following combinations:
Both of `sourceColumnN`.
One of `sourceColumnN` and one of `valueN`.
Both of `valueN`.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "STRING_GREATER_THAN_EQUAL",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn1": "nationality",
"targetColumn": "string_greater_than_equal",
"value2": "s"
}
}
}
```
# STRING\$1LESS\$1THAN
Creates a new column populated with one of the following:
+ `True` if one string in a column (or value) is less than another string in a different column (or value).
+ `False` if there is no match.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn1` – The name of an existing column.
+ `sourceColumn2` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value1` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `value2` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify only one of the following combinations:
Both of `sourceColumnN`.
One of `sourceColumnN` and one of `valueN`.
Both of `valueN`.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "STRING_LESS_THAN",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn1": "first_name",
"sourceColumn2": "last_name",
"targetColumn": "string_less_than"
}
}
}
```
# STRING\$1LESS\$1THAN\$1EQUAL
Creates a new column populated with one of the following:
+ `True` if one string in a column (or value) is less than or equal to another string in a different column (or value).
+ `False` if there is no match.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn1` – The name of an existing column.
+ `sourceColumn2` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value1` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `value2` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify only one of the following combinations:
Both of `sourceColumnN`.
One of `sourceColumnN` and one of `valueN`.
Both of `valueN`.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "STRING_LESS_THAN_EQUAL",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn1": "first_name",
"targetColumn": "string_less_than_equal",
"value2": "s"
}
}
}
```
# SUBSTRING
Returns in a new column some or all of the specified strings in the source column, based on the user-defined starting and ending index values.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `startPosition` – The character position to begin with, from the left end of the string.
+ `endPosition` – The character position to end with, from the left end of the string.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Example**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "SUBSTRING",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "last_name",
"startPosition": "5",
"endPosition": "8",
"targetColumn": "chars_5_through_8"
}
}
}
```
# TRIM
Removes leading and trailing white space from the strings in the source column or custom strings, and returns the result in a new column. Spaces between words aren't removed.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "TRIM",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "nationality",
"targetColumn": "nationality_trim"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "TRIM",
"Parameters": {
"value": " This string should be trimmed ",
"targetColumn": "string_trimmed"
}
}
}
```
# UNICODE
Returns in a new column the Unicode index value for the first character of the strings in the source column or for custom strings.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "UNICODE",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "first_name",
"targetColumn": "first_name_unicode"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "UNICODE",
"Parameters": {
"value": "?",
"targetColumn": "sixty_three"
}
}
}
```
# UPPER
Converts all alphabetical characters from the strings in the source column or custom strings to uppercase, and returns the result in a new column.
**Parameters**
+ `sourceColumn` – The name of an existing column.
+ `value` – A character string to evaluate.
+ `targetColumn` – The name of the new column to be created.
**Note**
You can specify either `sourceColumn` or `value`, but not both.
**Examples**
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "UPPER",
"Parameters": {
"sourceColumn": "last_name",
"targetColumn": "last_name_upper"
}
}
}
```
```
{
"RecipeAction": {
"Operation": "UPPER",
"Parameters": {
"value": "a string of lowercase letters",
"targetColumn": "string_upper"
}
}
}
```