Match regex is a great addition to 4Dv11, but what I really need is a function that takes a string value, a data type and tells me if it’s valid or not.

I’m no regex expert, just compiled some online examples into one function. This is only a starting point, but it completes my needs for the time being. There is a whole forum section devoted to this online.

   ` ----------------------------------------------------   ` User name (OS):   ` Date and time: 11/02/10, 15:29:39   ` ----------------------------------------------------   ` Method: UTIL_ValidateDataByType   ` Description   ` We want to have a method that will validate data by it's type   `   ` Parameters   ` ----------------------------------------------------   `$0 returns true or false based on validity   `$1 text data to validate cast as String   `$2 longint type of data expected   `$3 boolean show alerts (optional) assumed false C_BOOLEAN($0;$vb_Return;$3;$vb_ShowAlerts) C_TEXT($1;$vt_Data;$vt_Pattern) C_LONGINT($2;$vl_DataType;$vl_ParameterCount)   ` count the parameters $vl_ParameterCount:=Count parameters   ` assume we'll fail $vb_Return:=False   ` assume we don't want to see alerts $vb_ShowAlerts:=False If ($vl_ParameterCount>=2)	  ` lets check them	$vt_Data:=$1	$vl_DataType:=$2	If ($vl_ParameterCount>=3)	$vb_ShowAlerts:=$3	End if	Case of	: ($vl_DataType=Is Alpha Field ) | ($vl_DataType=Is Text )	  ` we passed in a string didn't we?	$vb_Return:=True	: ($vl_DataType=Is Boolean )	$vt_Data:=Lowercase($vt_Data)	Case of	: (($vt_Data="true") | ($vt_Data="false"))	  ` expecting "true" or "false"	$vb_Return:=True	: ($vb_ShowAlerts)	ALERT("Expecting 'True' or 'False' not "+$vt_Data)	End case	: ($vl_DataType=Is Integer ) | ($vl_DataType=Is LongInt )	  ` integer only, no size restriction	$vt_Pattern:="[-+]?\\b\\d+\\b"	Case of	: (Match regex($vt_Pattern;$vt_Data))	$vb_Return:=True	: ($vb_ShowAlerts)	ALERT("Expecting signed integer not "+$vt_Data)	End case	: (($vl_DataType=Is Real ) | ($vl_DataType=Is Float ))	  `decimal	$vt_Pattern:="[-+]?((\\b[0-9]+)?\\.)?[0-9]+\\b"	Case of	: (Match regex($vt_Pattern;$vt_Data))	$vb_Return:=True	: ($vb_ShowAlerts)	ALERT("Expecting decimal value not "+$vt_Data)	End case	: ($vl_DataType=Is Date )	  ` Date d/m/yy and dd/mm/yyyy 1/1/00 through 31/12/99 and 01/01/1900 through 31/12/2099	  ` ie europeon or american style dates accepted, deliminated with '-' ' ' '/' OR '.'	$vt_Pattern:="\\b(0?[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[- /.](0?[1-9]|1[012])[- /.](19|20)?[0-9]{2}\\b"	Case of	: (Match regex($vt_Pattern;$vt_Data;1))	$vb_Return:=True	: ($vb_ShowAlerts)	ALERT("Expecting d/m/yy or dd/mm/yyyy not "+$vt_Data)	End case	: ($vl_DataType=Is Time )	  ` Time in 24 hours format with optional seconds	$vt_Pattern:="^(([0-1]?[0-9])|([2][0-3])):([0-5]?[0-9])(:([0-5]?[0-9]))?$"	Case of	: (Match regex($vt_Pattern;$vt_Data))	$vb_Return:=True	: ($vb_ShowAlerts)	ALERT("Expecting HH:MM or HH:MM:SS in 24hr format not "+$vt_Data)	End case	Else	  ` not checking blobs, pictures, subtables. just move on	$vb_Return:=True	End case Else	$vb_Return:=False End if $0:=$vb_Return