REMOVESYMBOLS Function
Removes all characters from a string that are not letters, numbers, accented Latin characters, or whitespace.
Note
Non-Latin letters are also removed.
Tip
This function also removes common punctuation, such as the following:
. , ! & ?
To preserve these characters, you might replace them with an alphanumeric text string. For example, the question mark might be replaced by:
zzQUESTIONMARKzz
After the function has been applied, you can replace these strings with the original values.
Wrangle vs. SQL: This function is part of Wrangle, a proprietary data transformation language. Wrangle is not SQL. For more information, see Wrangle Language.
Basic Usage
Column reference example:
removesymbols(MyName)
Output: Returns the value in the MyName column value with all non-alphanumeric characters removed.
String literal example:
removesymbols('Héllõ, Wõrlds!?!?')
Output: Returns the string: Héllõ Wõrlds.
Wildcard example:
removesymbols($col)
Output: Strips all non-alphanumeric or space characters from all columns in the dataset.
Syntax and Arguments
removesymbols(column_string)
Argument | Required? | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
column_string | Y | string | Name of the column or string literal to be applied to the function |
For more information on syntax standards, see Language Documentation Syntax Notes.
column_string
Name of the column or string constant to be trimmed of symbols.
Missing string or column values generate missing string results.
String constants must be quoted (
'Hello, World').Multiple columns and wildcards are not supported.
Usage Notes:
Required? | Data Type | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
Yes | String literal or column reference | myColumn |
Examples
Tip
For additional examples, see Common Tasks.
Example - String cleanup functions together
This example demonstrates functions that can be used to clean up strings.
Functions:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
TRIM Function | Removes leading and trailing whitespace from a string. Spacing between words is not removed. |
REMOVEWHITESPACE Function | Removes all whitespace from a string, including leading and trailing whitespace and all whitespace within the string. |
REMOVESYMBOLS Function | Removes all characters from a string that are not letters, numbers, accented Latin characters, or whitespace. |
Source:
In the following (space) and (tab) indicate space keys and tabs, respectively. Carriage return and newline characters are also supported by whitespace functions.
Strings | source |
|---|---|
String01 | this source(space)(space) |
String02 | (tab)(tab)this source |
String03 | (tab)(tab)this source(space)(space) |
String04 | this source's? |
String05 | Why, you @#$%^&*()! |
String06 | this söurce |
String07 | (space)this söurce |
String08 | à mañana |
Transformation:
The following transformation steps generate new columns using each of the string cleanup functions:
Transformation Name |
|
|---|---|
Parameter: Formula type | Single row formula |
Parameter: Formula | TRIM(source) |
Parameter: New column name | 'trim_source' |
Transformation Name |
|
|---|---|
Parameter: Formula type | Single row formula |
Parameter: Formula | REMOVEWHITESPACE(source) |
Parameter: New column name | 'removewhitespace_source' |
Transformation Name |
|
|---|---|
Parameter: Formula type | Single row formula |
Parameter: Formula | REMOVESYMBOLS(source) |
Parameter: New column name | 'removesymbols_source' |
Results:
Strings | source | removesymbols_source | removewhitespace_source | trim_source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
String01 | this source(space)(space) | this source(space)(space) | thissource | this source |
String02 | (tab)(tab)this source | (tab)(tab)this source | thissource | this source |
String03 | (tab)(tab)this source(space)(space) | (tab)(tab)this source(space)(space) | thissource | this source |
String04 | this source's? | this sources | thissource's? | this source's? |
String05 | "Why, you @#$%^&*()!" | Why you | Why,you@#$%^&*()! | Why, you @#$%^&*()! |
String06 | this söurce | this söurce | thissöurce | this söurce |
String07 | (space)this söurce | (space)this söurce | thissöurce | this söurce |
String08 | à mañana | à mañana | àmañana | à mañana |