Syntax

ApptiveScript has few rules. This page lists all of them.

Value, dot, function

Every expression starts with a value. After that, functions follow, each separated by a dot:

fieldValue('price').multiplyBy(1.19)

The result of a function is a value again — which means functions can be chained. It's read left to right:

fieldValue('lastName').concat(fieldValue('firstName'), ', ').isNotEmpty()

Which functions are allowed depends on the type of the value to the left of the dot. A text value can use contains(), a number can use round(). → Function reference

Spaces and line breaks between the parts are allowed. For longer chains, this is the more readable form:

fieldValue('quantity')
  .multiplyBy(fieldValue('unitPrice'))
  .round(2)

Functions always have parentheses

Even when they don't need an argument:

Correct	Wrong
today()	today
fieldValue('title').isEmpty()	fieldValue('title').isEmpty

The exception is properties. They appear without parentheses because they don't calculate anything — they just name part of a value. In the function reference, they're listed with a leading dot:

loggedInUser().email

true and false are also properties and appear without parentheses.

Text, numbers, booleans

Kind	Syntax	Example
Text	single quotation marks	'Other'
Whole number	no separator	42, -7
Decimal number	with a dot as the decimal separator	1.19
Boolean	no parentheses, lowercase	true, false

Three typos that break an expression

• Double quotation marks ("Other") aren't valid text. The editor reports an error.
• A comma as decimal separator (1,19) isn't read correctly. Always use 1.19.
• Capitalization matters: True is not true, IsEmpty() is not isEmpty(). A misspelled name is treated as unknown — and an unknown name isn't an error, it's simply blank.

Apostrophes in text don't work

An apostrophe inside a text value can't be written — 'Müller's shop' cuts the text off after Müller, without any error message appearing. Avoid apostrophes in comparison values, or compare against part of the text using contains().

Doing math

For numbers, both notations are available — operators and functions:

(fieldValue('net') + fieldValue('shipping')) * 1.19
fieldValue('net').plus(fieldValue('shipping')).multiplyBy(1.19)

Operator	Function
+	plus()
-	minus()
*	multiplyBy()
/	divideBy()

Parentheses group terms: (2 + 3) * 4 gives 20.

When in doubt, use the function notation

The editor inserts functions rather than operators when you click things together — and chains of functions can be extended without thinking about operator precedence. Operators are mainly convenient for short formulas.

Combining conditions

There are no keywords for and, or, not — they're functions on a boolean value:

formValues.get('age').greaterThan(17).logicalAnd(formValues.get('terms').isTrue())

Meaning	Syntax
and	condition.logicalAnd(otherCondition)
or	condition.logicalOr(otherCondition)
not	condition.isFalse()
if/else	condition.if(then, otherwise)

Don't mix AND and OR

The interface can only display an expression as rows if it's connected entirely with AND or entirely with OR. If you mix them, the Flow dialog reports:

This expression mixes AND/OR or can't be split into rows. Edit it as a single expression, or use rows with a shared operator (AND only or OR only).

The expression keeps working — it just can no longer be edited via the rows.

Missing values

An empty field doesn't produce an error, but an empty value. Two functions handle that:

fieldValue('nickname').ifUndefined('unknown')
fieldValue('orderNumber').isNotEmpty()

ifUndefined() is available on every type. It matters most anywhere further calculation happens — multiplying by an empty field doesn't produce a result, it produces nothing.

What doesn't exist

Comments	// … and /* … */ are invalid
Variables and intermediate steps	an expression is a single line
Multiple results	an expression returns exactly one value
German function names	names are in English, even in the German interface

Editor error messages

The expression editor shows errors below the field, in English and with internal type names:

Message	Meaning
ASString class has no function named …	This function doesn't exist for this type — check the function reference
function needs 1 arguments	Too few or too many arguments in the parentheses
Unexpected token …	The expression is incomplete, e.g. a missing parenthesis or a trailing dot
No field with id …	The column being referenced no longer exists

If an expression can't be parsed, the text you entered stays unchanged in the field instead of being converted into blocks. That's the fastest way to spot a typo.

Next

• Referencing values — what an expression starts with
• Building conditions — comparisons, AND/OR, branches
• The expression editor — token view, picker, sample result
• Function reference — every function by type
• What is ApptiveScript