About Event Action Parameters

Depending on the action type, you specify optional parameters for each event action type. You can specify parameters in any order for a particular action. To list multiple parameters, specify them one after another, specifying either a space or nothing between them. Event action parameters are defined on the Parameters tab of the Event Actions form.

Note: You can use the event action parameter forms to define the parameters. When you do, the parameters are returned to the Event Actions form properly formatted and free of syntax errors.

The syntax for each event action parameter is FUNCTION(value).

Note: Although it is not a requirement that function names be specified by using all uppercase letters, we recommend the practice, as it leads to greater ease of recognition and readability.

The value enclosed in parentheses can consist of:

  • A constant number
  • A literal string enclosed in quotation marks
  • A Boolean value: TRUE or FALSE
  • An event function call

    Function call can be nested.

  • An expression consisting of a number of these elements that are combined by using operators

You can also use the parentheses after the function to wrap expressions that signify operations to be performed on the results of the expression.

For example, the function V takes as a parameter the name of a variable. This function can be placed in the parameters for other functions, for example, METHOD(V(FuncNameVar)).

Function types

Functions can be any of three basic types:

  • Parameter functions — These are functions whose parentheses wrap a parameter to the event action. For example, these are all typical parameter functions:
    • SETVARVALUES
    • METHOD
    • INTERVAL
    • EVENTNAME

    These functions must always appear at the root level and can never be nested inside any other type of function.

    These functions are identified in this documentation generically as PARAMS(…).

  • Value functions — These are functions that call event values such as:
    • SUBSTITUTE
    • DATE
    • ABS
    • CEILING

    These types of functions can never appear at the root level but must be nested within another function construct (either a parameter or another function).

    These functions are identified in this documentation generically as FUNCTION(…).

  • Word functions — These are verbatim words used inside event function calls, such as:
    • AS
    • STRING
    • NUMBER
    • DAY
    • DATE
    Note: Some of these functions can also be used as event function calls. However, these functions always appear within an event function call.

    These functions are identified in this documentation generically as …WORD…

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