BIT( ) function
Returns the binary representation for the specified byte position in the current record as an eight character string.
Syntax
BIT(byte_location)
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| byte_location | numeric | The byte position to return as a binary value. |
Output
Character.
Examples
Basic examples
Returns "00110001" if the eighth byte contains "1":
BIT(8)
Returns "01000001" if the ninth byte contains "A":
BIT(9)
Returns "01100001" if the seventeenth byte contains "a":
BIT(17)
Advanced examples
Using BIT ( ) and SUBSTRING ( ) to extract a value
Assume that byte position 17 contains a set of 8 credit flags.
To extract all customer records that have the third bit set to one (meaning "do not ship"), specify:
EXTRACT IF SUBSTRING(BIT(17), 3, 1) = "1"
In this example, the SUBSTRING( ) function is used to extract the value of the third bit.
Remarks
How it works
BIT( ) converts the byte at the specified byte position into an eight character string of ones and zeros.
When to use BIT( )
Use BIT( ) to examine the individual bits in a byte.
Related functions
If you want to retrieve the character at the specified byte location, use the BYTE( ) function.
