I'll claim a senior moment here... An associate is trying to write an I-type dictionary that retrieves the first subvalue in a set of  fields. I can certainly do it with a subroutine and the FIELD function, but the FIELDS function specifically excludes use of the value mark or sub-value mark as delimiters. Suggestons? I'm sure it will be a forehead slapper when presented...

The existing data is:
ABC@SVMDEF@VMGHI@SVMZBA@VMQAR

He wants it to return:
ABC@VMGHI@VMQAR

Thanks, in advance!

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Jeff Teter
Woodforest National Bank
The Woodlands, TX
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Hi Jeff,

The multi-value subroutines act on each system-delimiter delimited "piece" (i.e. value, sub-value).  In order to use FIELDS, you need to get rid of the sub-value marks so that FIELDS can work down to only the value-level.  Depending on how you write your I-Types, it would be
FIELDS(COVERT(@SM,"|",[whatever the larger thing is called]),"|",1,1)
-or-
...;CONVERT(@SM,"|",@);FIELDS(@,"|",1,1)

Of course the | can't be part of the data.  Use whatever character works for the data.

I hope that helps.
Tyrel

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Tyrel Marak
Technical Support Manager
Aptron Corporation
Florham Park NJ United States
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I'll claim a senior moment here... An associate is trying to write an I-type dictionary that retrieves the first subvalue in a set of  fields. I can certainly do it with a subroutine and the FIELD function, but the FIELDS function specifically excludes use of the value mark or sub-value mark as delimiters. Suggestons? I'm sure it will be a forehead slapper when presented...

The existing data is:
ABC@SVMDEF@VMGHI@SVMZBA@VMQAR

He wants it to return:
ABC@VMGHI@VMQAR

Thanks, in advance!

------------------------------
Jeff Teter
Woodforest National Bank
The Woodlands, TX
------------------------------

There are several ways to do it but the simplest could be this:
0001 I
0002 @RECORD<1,1,1>:'*':@RECORD<1,1,3>:'*':@RECORD<1,1,5>
0003
0004 AUDITSTUFF
0005 20L
0006 S

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Bill Henson
Special Ops
Vertafore Inc
Bothell WA United States
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