Using Actuate BIRT Viewers : Editing and formatting a report : Formatting data strings : Applying a string format : Defining a custom string format
 
Defining a custom string format
You can define a custom string format using special symbols to construct a format pattern. Table 3‑7 describes these symbols.
Table 3‑7 Symbols for defining custom string formats 
Symbol
Description
@
Character placeholder. Each @ character displays a character in the string. If the string has fewer characters than the number of @ symbols that appear in the format pattern, spaces appear. Placeholders are filled from right to left, unless you specify an exclamation point (!) at the beginning of the format pattern. See Table 3‑8 for examples.
&
Same as @, except that if the string has fewer characters, spaces do not appear. See Table 3‑8 for examples.
!
Specifies that placeholders are to be filled from left to right. See Table 3‑8 for examples.
>
Converts string characters to uppercase.
<
Converts string characters to lowercase.
Table 3‑8 shows examples of custom string format patterns and their effects on string data.
Table 3‑8 Results of custom string formats 
Format pattern
Data in the data source
Results of formatting
(@@@) @@@‑@@@@
6175551007
5551007
(617) 555‑1007
(   ) 555‑1007
(&&&) &&&‑&&&&
6175551007
5551007
(617) 555‑1007
() 555‑1007
!(@@@) @@@‑@@@@
6175551007
5551007
(617) 555‑1007
(555) 100‑7
!(&&&) &&&‑&&&&
6175551007
5551007
(617) 555‑1007
(555) 100‑7
!(@@@) @@@‑@@@@ + ext 9
5551007
(555) 100‑7    + ext 9
!(&&&) &&&‑&&&& + ext 9
5551007
(555) 100‑7 + ext 9
>&&&‑&&&&&‑&&
D1234567xy
D12‑34567‑XY
<&&&‑&&&&&‑&&
D1234567xy
d12‑34567‑xy