String containing paragraph characters returns unexpected result in STR_SPLIT function

Products

• CA Automic Workload Automation - Automation Engine

Issue/Introduction

The STR_SPLIT function produces additional columns when the treated string contains sequential paragraph ('§') characters.

For instance, using the following script:

:DEFINE &STRINGS#, string, 5
:SET &STRING# = "123_456§§§§789"
:FILL &STRINGS#[] = STR_SPLIT(&STRING#,"_")

The expected result might be:

123
456§§§§789

but the actual result is:

123
456
§789

where the string is split on the underscore ('_') but also on '§§§', the fourth '§' is then considered a valid character again.

Cause

The AE processes internally use three sequential paragraph characters (§§§) as column separators. 

This is (indirectly) documented here:

https://docs.automic.com/documentation/webhelp/english/AA/24.3/DOCU/24.3/Automic%20Automation%20Guides/Content/Script/Reference/PREP_PROCESS.htm?Highlight=%C2%A7%C2%A7%C2%A7

A hack is shown in the example here:

https://docs.automic.com/documentation/webhelp/english/AA/24.3/DOCU/24.3/Automic%20Automation%20Guides/Content/Script/Reference/PUT_VAR_PROCESS.htm

Resolution

This is by design and '§§§' cannot be used or should be temporarily replaced.

The same may happen in other UC4 script functions.