Text concatenation operator (&)

Joins two values together as a single text string and returns it. "te" & "st""te" & "st" returns "test" and "The value is: " & TextField1"The value is: " & TextField1 returns "The value is: ", followed by the value of the text field TextField1.

Converting numbers to text strings

If a number is given, it is converted to a text string:

"The value is: " & NumberField1"The value is: " & NumberField1

This formula returns a value such as "The value is: 1234.56", using the decimal separator of the language the app has been configured to use. If that language is German, for instance, "The value is: 1234,56" is returned instead. Thousands separators are not used.

Determining how numbers are converted to text

To get a formatted value, respecting a field's formatting options like the use of thousands separators, use the FormattedValue property instead:

"The value is: " & NumberField1.FormattedValue"The value is: " & NumberField1,FormattedValue

This formula produces a text string like "The value is: 1,234.56" for an app set to US English, and one like "The value is: 1 234,56" for an app in German (depending on the formatting options of NumberField1).

Use any of these functions to specify formatting preferences through the formula itself:

• FIXED
• FORMATNUMBER
• FORMATPERCENTAGE
• FORMATFRACTION
• FORMATSCIENTIFIC

Colors, logical values and blank values

Colors are converted to CSS color values, such as "#00ff00ff" for green with no transparency. The logical value FALSE is converted to "FALSE" and TRUE is converted to "TRUE". Blank values (including those produced by the BLANK function) are converted to "".

The & operator and CONCATENATE versus CONCAT

The & operator is fully equivalent to CONCATENATE. In many ways, it is also similar to the CONCAT function. These formulas all return the same value:

"Value: " & Field1"Value: " & Field1

CONCATENATE("Value: ", Field1)CONCATENATE("Value: "; Field1)

CONCAT("Value: ", Field1)CONCAT("Value: "; Field1)

CONCAT differs from this operator and CONCATENATE in that it always returns a single text string, even when invoked with arrays. These two formulas both return the array { "a1", "b1" }{ "a1"; "b1" }:

{ "a", "b" } & 1{ "a"; "b" } & 1

CONCATENATE({ "a", "b" }, 1)CONCATENATE({ "a"; "b" }; 1)

However, this CONCAT formula returns "ab1":

CONCAT({ "a", "b" }, 1)CONCAT({ "a"; "b" }; 1)

These two formulas both return the array { "ac", "bd" }{ "ac"; "bd" }:

{ "a", "b" } & { "c", "d" }{ "a"; "b" } & { "c"; "d" }

CONCATENATE({ "a", "b" }, { "c", "d" })CONCATENATE({ "a"; "b" }; { "c"; "d" })

However, this CONCAT formula returns "abcd":

CONCAT({ "a", "b" }, { "c", "d" })CONCAT({ "a"; "b" }; { "c"; "d" })

Examples

"te" & "st""te" & "st"

Returns "test".

"The value is: " & TextField1"The value is: " & TextField1

Returns "The value is: ", followed by the value of the text field TextField1.

"The value is: " & NumberField1"The value is: " & NumberField1

Returns "The value is: 1234.56" if the language of the app is set to Australian English and "The value is: 1234,56" if the language of the app is set to German. Thousands separators are not used.

"The value is: " & NumberField1.FormattedValue"The value is: " & NumberField1,FormattedValue

Returns "The value is: 1234.56" if the language of the app is set to Australian English and "The value is: 1234,56" if the language of the app is set to German. Thousands separators are not used.

"The value is: " & FORMATNUMBER(NumberField1, 2, 2)"The value is: " & FORMATNUMBER(NumberField1; 2; 2)

Returns a text string like "The value is: 1,234.56" for an app set to US English, and one like "The value is: 1 234,56" for an app in German. The particulars of the formatted number are determined by the parameters given to the FORMATNUMBER function. Here, the second parameter 2 signifies that the number should be formatted with at least two decimal places. Refer to the documentation for FORMATNUMBER for more information.

{ "a", 3 } & "b"{ "a"; 3 } & "b"

Returns the array { "ab", "3b" }{ "ab"; "3b" } (equivalent to { "a" & "b", 3 & "b" }{ "a" & "b"; 3 & "b" }.

{ "a", 3 } & { "b", TRUE }{ "a"; 3 } & { "b"; TRUE }

Returns the array { "ab", "3TRUE" }{ "ab"; "3TRUE" } (equivalent to { "a" & "b", 3 & TRUE }{ "a" & "b"; 3 & TRUE }.

CONCATENATE({ "a", 3 }, { "b", TRUE })CONCATENATE({ "a"; 3 }; { "b"; TRUE })

Returns the array { "ab", "3TRUE" }{ "ab"; "3TRUE" } (equivalent to { "a" & "b", 3 & TRUE }{ "a" & "b"; 3 & TRUE }. CONCATENATE is equivalent to &.

CONCAT({ "a", 3 }, { "b", TRUE })CONCAT({ "a"; 3 }; { "b"; TRUE })

Returns the text string "a3bTRUE". CONCAT always returns a single text string, never an array.