CSTATES Function

Syntax

Output_String as C = CSTATES([C format])

Arguments

format: "A" to retrieve abbreviations for state names, "S" to retrieve full state names.

Description

Return the US states with optional format S=state, A=Abbreviation.

Discussion

CSTATES() returns a character string containing the names or abbreviations for the states of the United States, United States territories, the District of Columbia, and all of the Canadian Provinces.

Example

? cstates("a" + crlf() )
= AL
AK
AZ
AR
CA
CO
...
? cstates("a,")
= "AL,AK,AZ,AR,CA,CO,CT,DE ...
? cstates("A|S"+ crlf() )
= AL|Alabama
AK|Alaska
AZ|Arizona
AR|Arkansas
CA|California
...
? cstates("s|a"+ crlf() )
= Alabama|AL
Alaska|AK
Arizona|AZ
Arkansas|AR
California|CA
Colorado|CO
...

If you needed to create a drop-down listbox for an HTML page, your could be.

list = cstates("s|a"+ crlf() )
list = a5_html_list_populate(list,"MA")

This example creates a function that uses the CSTATES() expression to test whether a state abbreviation is legitimate. In this case the ATC() function returns a value greater than 0 for any two character string contained in the list of states.

function valid_state_abbreviation as L ( abbr as C )
    dim i as N
    dim ab as C
    for i = 1 to 71
        ab = ab + substr(cstates("A"), i * 2 - 1, 2) + crlf()
    next i
    if (atc(abbr, ab, 1) > 0) then
        valid_state_abbreviation = .T.
    else
        valid_state_abbreviation = .F.
    end if
end function

This example creates a function that uses the CSTATES() expression to test whether a state name is legitimate. The ATC() function returns a value greater than 0 for any name contained in the list of states.

function valid_state_name as L (nam as C )
    dim ab as C
    ab = cstates("S")
    if (atc(nam, ab, 1) > 0) then
        valid_state_name = .T.
    else
        valid_state_name = .F.
    end if
end function