In-build date and time syntax variables

Many syntaxes need to reference date and time. The following date-time variables are defined and populated by the system, for use in syntaxes. For example, a JOB_NAME_SYNTAX may reference $yy$MM to produce a job name based on a 2-digit year and a 2-digit month, or a SAMPLE_NAME_SYNTAX may reference $kk to reference a 2-digit hour in day.

Note: Setting the following date-time variables respects the time zone applicable to a registration situation, as follows:

  • When a job/sample is created interactively, then any date-time variable referenced in a job-based or job/sample-based syntax is populated relative to the laboratory's time zone. When a job/sample is created via the system batch queue using a schedule, then any date-time variable referenced in a job/sample-based syntax is populated relative to the job/sample's registration offset.

Variable

Definition

Description

yyyy

TODAY.format('yyyy')

4-digit year, for example, 2010.

yy

TODAY.format('yy')

2-digit year, for example, 10.

G

TODAY.format('G')

Era, for example, AD.

M

TODAY.format('M')

Trimmed month, for example, 2 or 12.

MM

TODAY.format('MM')

2-digit month, for example, 02 or 12.

MMM

TODAY.format('MMM')

3-character month, for example, Feb.

MMMU

MMM.toUpperCase()

3-character upper-cased month, for example, FEB.

MMMM

TODAY.format('MMMM')

Full month, for example, February.

MMMMU

MMMM.toUpperCase()

Upper-cased full month, for example, FEBRUARY.

w

TODAY.format('w')

Trimmed week in year, for example, 7 or 24.

ww

TODAY.format('ww')

2-digit week in year, for example, 07 or 24.

W

TODAY.format('W')

Trimmed week in month, for example, 2.

WW

TODAY.format('WW')

2-digit week in month, for example, 02.

D

TODAY.format('D')

Trimmed day in year, for example, 4 or 40.

DDD

TODAY.format('DDD')

3-digit day in year, for example, 040.

d

TODAY.format('d')

Trimmed day in month, for example, 9 or 21.

dd

TODAY.format('dd')

3-digit day in month, for example, 09.

F

TODAY.format('F')

Trimmed day of week in month, for example, 2.

EEE

TODAY.format('E')

3-character day in week, for example, Tue.

EEEU

EEE.toUpperCase()

3-character upper-cased day in week, for example, TUE.

EEEE

TODAY.format('EEEE')

Full day in week, for example, Tuesday.

EEEEU

EEEE.toUpperCase()

Full upper-cased day in week, for example, TUESDAY.

a

TODAY.format('a')

AM/PM marker, for example, AM.

al

a.toLowerCase()

Lower-cased AM/PM marker, for example, am.

H

TODAY.format('H')

Trimmed hour in day (0-23), for example, 8 or 23.

HH

TODAY.format('HH')

2-digit hour in day (0-23), for example, 08.

k

TODAY.format('k')

Trimmed hour in day (1-24), for example, 8 or 23.

kk

TODAY.format('kk')

2-digit hour in day (1-24), for example, 08.

K

TODAY.format('K')

Trimmed hour in 12-hour day (0-11), for example, 8 or 23.

KK

TODAY.format('KK')

2-digit hour in 12-hour day (0-11), for example, 08.

h

TODAY.format('h')

Trimmed hour in 12-hour day (1-12), for example, 8 or 23.

hh

TODAY.format('hh')

2-digit hour in 12-hour day (1-12), for example, 08.

m

TODAY.format('m')

Trimmed minute in hour, for example, 5 or 59.

mm

TODAY.format('mm')

2-digit minute in hour, for example, 05.

s

TODAY.format('s')

Trimmed second in minute, for example, 2 or 59.

ss

TODAY.format('ss')

2-digit second in minute, for example, 02.

S

TODAY.format('S')

Trimmed millisecond, for example, 7 or 70 or 999.

SS

TODAY.format('SS')

2-digit millisecond, for example, 07 or 070 or 999.

z

TODAY.format('z')

Time zone of laboratory. If a laboratory's time zone is not defined, then the JVM default is used, for example, CST.

zzzz

TODAY.format('zzzz')

Full Time zone, for example, Central Summer Time (South Australia).

Z

TODAY.format('Z')

Time zone offset, for example, +1030.