Using RPL instead of built-in functions

The following section shows examples of how to use RPL instead of built-in functions.

Accessing variables and fields

The simplest template is an HTML or plain text file. When the system emails a user, RPL sends that HTML as is. However, to make the message to be more dynamic, you can include instructions for RPL in the HTML:

Using built-in functions	Using RPL
Generally, the syntax for referring to fields/columns from a data source is: Datasaourcealias.fieldnamealias
$Lookup(Field)$	${Datasourcealias.Fieldalias}
$Lookup(Variable)$	${Variable}
We also support simple replacements: $Field$ Dear $Lookup(FIRST_NAME)$	Dear ${ContactList.FIRST_NAME} Assuming all the fields above are coming from the profile list called ContactList.

Using conditions

Using built-in functions	Using RPL
$cond(condition, onTrue, onFalse)	<#if condition> …text for true case <#else> … text for false case </#if>
$cond(eq(Lookup(Travel), 'Y'), document(Travel, TravelOffer), nothing())$	<#if Travel='Y'> <table> <tr>…</tr> </table> </#if>

Using built-in functions

Using RPL

$cond(condition, onTrue, onFalse)

<#if condition>
	…text for true case
<#else>
	… text for false case
</#if>

$cond(eq(Lookup(Travel), 'Y'), document(Travel, TravelOffer), nothing())$

<#if Travel='Y'>
	<table>
		<tr>…</tr>
	</table>
</#if>

Using operators

Using built-in functions	Using RPL
Generally, the syntax for referring to fields/columns from a data source is: Datasaourcealias.fieldnamealias
$add(2,mul(5*Price))$ $and(ge(Price, 1000.00), le (Price, 2000.00))$	${2 + 5*Price} ${(Price >= 1000.00 && Price <= 2000.00)} Parentheses are used to tell RPL not to interpret ">" or "<" as a tag markers ${Price ge 1000.00 && Price le 2000.00}
String concatenation: $concat(FIRST_NAME, concat(space(), LAST_NAME))$	${ContactList.FIRST_NAME + " "+ ContactList.LAST_NAME} This example assumes that all fields are coming from the profile list called ContactList.

Using built-in functions

Using RPL

Generally, the syntax for referring to fields/columns from a data source is:

Datasaourcealias.fieldnamealias

$add(2,mul(5*Price))$ $and(ge(Price, 1000.00), le (Price, 2000.00))$

${2 + 5*Price}
${(Price >= 1000.00 && Price <= 2000.00)}

Parentheses are used to tell RPL not to interpret ">" or "<" as a tag markers

${Price ge 1000.00 && Price le 2000.00}

String concatenation: $concat(FIRST_NAME, concat(space(), LAST_NAME))$

${ContactList.FIRST_NAME + " "+ ContactList.LAST_NAME}

This example assumes that all fields are coming from the profile list called ContactList.

Abour RPL built-ins

RPL includes a set of routines that allow for some common programing tasks such as converting text to uppercase and converting a number to a string. These routines are called built-ins. Do not confuse these with Responsys built-in functions as they are different.

You specify built-ins as expression? built-in name.

Here are some examples of how you can use RPL built-ins instead of built-in functions.

Using built-in functions	Using RPL
Generally, the syntax for referring to fields/columns from a data source is: Datasaourcealias.fieldnamealias The examples below assume that all fields are coming from the profile list called ContactList.
$uppercase(Region)$	${ContactList.Region?upper_case}
$leadingcapital(City)$	${ContactList.City?cap_first}
$capitalizewords(Location)$	${ContactList.Location?capitalize

Looking up records and looping

Using built-in functions	Using RPL
$COND(EMPTY( LOOKUPRECORDS(!Event Tables, Events_All_Next_21_Days, PAIRS(GENRE_CATEGORY_DESCR, MLB Tickets, Region_Name, LOOKUP(Region_Name)), Event_ID)), NOTHING(), ESCAPECOMMAS(DOCUMENT( Modules, MOD_TU_Event_Sports_Baseball_MLB)))$	<table> <#data Events_All_Next_21_Days as event> <#filter description="MLB Tickets" region_name=Region_Name> <#fields eventid description city state date_local> <tr><td>…${event.city}…</td></tr> </#data> </table>

Using built-in functions

Using RPL

$COND(EMPTY(
LOOKUPRECORDS(!Event Tables, Events_All_Next_21_Days,
PAIRS(GENRE_CATEGORY_DESCR, MLB Tickets, Region_Name,
LOOKUP(Region_Name)), Event_ID)), NOTHING(),
ESCAPECOMMAS(DOCUMENT(
Modules, MOD_TU_Event_Sports_Baseball_MLB)))$

<table>
<#data Events_All_Next_21_Days as event>
	<#filter description="MLB Tickets"
		region_name=Region_Name>
	<#fields eventid description city state date_local>
	<tr><td>…${event.city}…</td></tr>
</#data>
</table>

Including a document

Using built-in functions	Using RPL
$document(folderName, doc1, doc2, …)$ $document(folderName, doc1, pairs(name1, value1, name2, value2, ...))$ $documentnobr(folderName, doc1, doc2, …)$	<#include "cms://contentlibrary/folderName /doc1.RPL"> <#include “cms://contentlibrary/folderName /doc2.html” parse=“false”> <#list docList as doc> <#assign random=rand(0,2000)> <#-- available in included doc - -> <#include "cms://contentlibrary/folderName /" + doc> </#list>

Using built-in functions

Using RPL

$document(folderName, doc1, doc2, …)$
$document(folderName, doc1, pairs(name1,
value1, name2, value2, ...))$
$documentnobr(folderName, doc1, doc2, …)$

<#include "cms://contentlibrary/folderName /doc1.RPL">
<#include “cms://contentlibrary/folderName /doc2.html” parse=“false”>
<#list docList as doc>
	<#assign random=rand(0,2000)>
<#-- available in included doc - ->
	<#include "cms://contentlibrary/folderName /" + doc>
</#list>

Using RPL built-ins

This section shows how to use some common RPL built-ins.

To do this	Specify this
Convert a string to a date	"2013-03-27"?date("yyyy-MM-dd")
Convert a number to a string in currency format	7326847?string.currency
Protect a string for html output	pet.description?html
Convert a number to hex format	123?hex
Convert a string to hex format (Responsys built-in function equivalent)	"abc"?hex
Skip a user’s record if a string is empty	profile.firstname?skip
Sort a sequence	list5?sort
Get all the keys of a hash	fruitColors?keys

Next steps

RPL Concepts

Most commonly used directives

Learn more

Responsys Personalization Language (RPL)