r_splice(C;S;D)

Returns a string consisting of a list of elements across a given set of columns, concatenated together using the specified delimiter.

Function type

Vector only

Syntax

r_splice(C;S;D)

Input

Argument Type Description
C any A space- or comma-separated list of column names

C may also be a string expression (in single quotes) constituting a pattern for matching columns. For instance, 'foo*' specifies all columns that begin with "foo".

If C is omitted, the values in all of the columns are included.
S integer A boolean column or an expression in rcv_/rcn_/rct_ which determines whether or not that column is selected to be included in the calculation. See System variables for more information about rcv_/rcn_/rct_.

If S is omitted, all columns will be considered by the function (subject to any prior column selections).
D text The character to be used as the delimiter in the resultant string.

If D is omitted, no delimiter is used.

A scalar value or the name of a column

Return Value

For each row of the table, r_splice returns a text value that consists of the list of elements in the columns specified by C delimited by D.

Example

Consider the following example:

<table cols="person1, person2, person3, person4" 
title="r_splice example">
Bob,Carol,Ted,Alice
</table>
<willbe name="conjunction" value="' and '"/>
<willbe name="everyone" value="r_splice('person*';;conjunction)"/>
<willbe name="explicitly" value="r_splice(person1 person2 person3 person4;;',')"/>
<willbe name="firsttwo" value="r_splice(person1 person2;;conjunction)"/>
<willbe name="thewholerow" value="r_splice(;;)"/>

The value of everyone is the catenation of all the values from the columns beginning with "person" (i.e., person1, person2, person3, and person4), delimited by the value in the conjunction column (i.e., " and "). The result, therefore, would be:

Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice

The value of explicitly is the catenation of all the values from the columns person1, person2, person3, and person4, delimited by the character ",". The result, therefore, would be:

Bob,Carol,Ted,Alice

The value of firsttwo is the catenation of all the values from the columns person1 and person2, delimited by the value in the conjunction column (i.e., " and "). The result, therefore, would be:

Bob and Carol

The value of thewholerow is the catenation of all the values from all of the columns in the table, with no delimiter. The result, therefore, would be:

BobCarolTedAlice and Bob and Carol and Ted and AliceBob,Carol,Ted,AliceBob and Carol