Use the following syntax:

&SYSINDEX(string_1,string_2[,start])

where:

string_1

is the character string that you are searching for.

string_2

is the character string to be searched in.

start

is a numeric expression indicating where in string_2 the search for string_1 should begin. If omitted or zero, this value defaults to one.

In examples 1-4, assume that &X is DOG, &Y is CATDOGSDOG and &Z is 2:

1. SET A = &SYSINDEX(&X,&Y)          /*   result:  A = 4

• &SYSINDEX found DOG in the fourth position of CATDOGSDOG, thus the index is 4.

2. SET A = &SYSINDEX(&X,&Y,&Z)       /*   result:  A = 4

• &SYSINDEX started searching at the second position, and found DOG again at the fourth position.

3. SET A = &SYSINDEX(&X,&Y,3+&Z)     /*   result:  A = 8

• Because the search started in the fifth position (3+2) &SYSINDEX found the second occurrence of DOG, in the eighth position.

4. SET A = &SYSINDEX(&X,&Y,9)        /*   result:  A = 0

• The search started in the ninth position and &SYSINDEX can not find the target string DOG.

Blanks are valid in string_1 and string_2. For example:

SET A = &SYSINDEX(is full,the car is full)  /* result:  A = 9

To search for a blank in string_2, you can set string_1 to a variable containing the value &STR( ). For example:

SET BLANK = &STR( )
SET TARG = THIS IS A TEST
SET LOC = &SYSINDEX(&BLANK,&TARG)    /* result: &LOC = 5

If string_1 or string_2 might contain a comma or right parenthesis, first set the string to a variable's value using &STR, then use the variable in &SYSINDEX, again enclosed in &STR(…). For example:

SET ARG = &STR(,)
SET TARG = &STR((80,60))
SET &LOC = &SYSINDEX(&STR(&ARG),&STR(&TARG))   /* result: &LOC = 4

SET ARG = &STR())
SET TARG = &STR((80,60))
SET &LOC = &SYSINDEX(&STR(&ARG),&STR(&TARG))   /* result: &LOC = 7