Function Reference > Functions > ASCII
  

ASCII

The ASCII function returns the numeric ASCII value of the first character of the string passed to the function.
You can pass a string of any size to ASCII, but it evaluates only the first character in the string. Before you pass any string value to ASCII, you can parse out the specific character you want to convert to an ASCII value. For example, you might use RTRIM or another string-manipulation function. If you pass a numeric value, ASCII converts it to a character string and returns the ASCII value of the first character in the string.
This function is identical in behavior to the CHRCODE function. If you use ASCII in existing expressions, they will still work correctly. However, when you create new expressions, use the CHRCODE function instead of the ASCII function.

Syntax

ASCII ( string )
Argument
Required/
Optional
Description
string
Required
Character string. Passes the value you want to return as an ASCII value. You can enter any valid expression.

Return Value

Integer. The ASCII value of the first character in the string.
NULL if a value passed to the function is NULL.

Example

The following expression returns the ASCII value for the first character of each value in the ITEMS column:
ASCII( ITEMS )
ITEMS
RETURN VALUE
Flashlight
70
Compass
67
Safety Knife
83
Depth/Pressure Gauge
68
Regulator System
82