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DateTime Variables

  • The DateTime variable type holds the representation of a date and/or time in the format of the number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970. This variable type is currently supported in the new transformation engine only.

  • You can safely manipulate date-time values in your data without the need for manual editing or custom rules to do so.

  • The Move rule (version 2) automatically converts the date into DateTime format (for EDI and Database).

  • In conjunction with this variable type, several Ruleset Actions support the DateTime variable type.

     

    Creating a DateTime Variable

    These steps take place in the Ruleset editor's Variables section.
    1. Click Add Variable.
    2. Type the name you wish to give the variable.
    3. Select DateTime from the Type drop-down.
    4. Click OK to complete this task.

    Result: The new variable now appears (identified as ) as an option in the Variables pane.

    Example

    This simple example shows how you might use a DateTime variable with several Actions. We will use the DateTime variable to set an initial value for a specific date - 12192000. We will then take that variable and add one day using another action. Finally we will format and write the output.

    Three Actions will accomplish this:
    • CreateDateTimeFromString
    • AddDateTimeWithFields
    • FormatDateTime

    But first we must create the DateTime variable from the Ruleset editor.

    This variable, named "DT", is now available for use from the Variables pane.

    Action: CreateDateTimeFromString

    • Define Inputs (12192000)
    • Define the pattern (mmddyyyy)
    • Use "DT" as output.

    Action: AddDateTimeWithFIelds

    • Define inputs, using "DT"
    • For DayOfMonth, define as “1”. For this example, we are simply adding one day to the initial DateTime.
    • Again, use "DT" as output.

    Action: FormatDateTime

    • Define inputs, using "DT".
    • Define the pattern. (mmddyyyy)
    • Write the string out to target.

    Now that we have our three Action used as Rule in the Ruleset, we can run the transformation and test the output.

    Result: Initial source DateTime of 12192000 is written to target (Field 1) as 12202000.

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