ST INSERT EXPRESSION

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4D v16.3


ST INSERT EXPRESSION ( {* ;} object ; expression {; startSel {; endSel}} )

Parameter	Type	Description
*	Operator	If specified, object is an object name (string) If omitted, object is a field or variable
object	Object	Object name (if * is specified) or Field or variable (if * is omitted)
expression	Text	Expression and (optional) format to insert
startSel	Longint	Start of selection
endSel	Longint	End of selection

Description

The ST INSERT EXPRESSION command inserts a reference to the expression in the styled text field or variable designated by the object parameter.

Passing the optional * parameter indicates that the object parameter is an object name (string). If you do not pass this parameter, it indicates that the object parameter is a field or variable. In this case, you pass a field or variable reference instead of a string (field or variable object only).

In the expression parameter, you pass the 4D expression to evaluate in the object. A valid 4D expression is a string returning a value. expression can be a field, a variable, a 4D command, a statement returning a value, a project method, and so on.

The expression must be placed in quotation marks ("").

Note: The expression parameter cannot be a Picture type variable.

If expression returns a value containing carriage returns and tabs, 4D formats the text according to the object hosting the expression; carriage return characters are interpreted as line breaks.

You can format the expression by including formatting information in the expression parameter. In this case, the parameter must be in the form:

"String(value;format)"

... where value contains the expression itself and format contains the format to apply. The format parameter can have the following values:

for numbers: any number display format (existing or not), for example "###,##".
for dates: a number designating an existing date format. You can use the constants of the "Date Display Formats" theme, for example System date short .
for times: a number designating an existing time format. You can use the constants of the "Time Display Formats" theme, for example System time short .

For example:

"String([Table_1]Field_1;System date short)"

By default, the expression values are displayed in the multi-style text areas. You can force the display of the references instead using the ST SET OPTIONS command.

The optional startSel and endSel parameters designate a selection of text in object. The startSel and endSel values express a plain text selection, without taking into account any style tags that may be present.

If you only pass startSel, the result of the expression is inserted at the specified location.
If you omit startSel and endSel, the result of the expression is inserted at the location of the cursor.
If you pass startSel and endSel, ST INSERT EXPRESSION replaces the text in this selection with the result of the expression. If the value of endSel is greater than the total number of characters in the object, all the characters between startSel and the end of the text are replaced by the result of the expression.

4D provides predefined constants so that you can designate the selection limits automatically in the startSel and endSel parameters. These constants are found in the "Multistyle Text" theme:

Constant	Type	Value	Comment
ST End highlight	Longint	-1001	Designates last character of current text selection in object (*)
ST End text	Longint	0	Designates last character of text contained in object
ST Start highlight	Longint	-1000	Designates first character of current text selection in object (*)
ST Start text	Longint	1	Designates first character of text contained in object

(*) You must pass an object name in object to be able to use this constant. If you pass a reference to a field or variable, the command is applied to all the text of the object.

Note: If startSel is greater than endSel (except when endSel is 0), the command does nothing and the OK variable is set to 0.

Example

You want to replace the highlighted text with a field value:

ST INSERT EXPRESSION(*;"myText";"[Customer]LastName";ST Start highlight;ST End highlight)