> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.maestra.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Data Processing and Formatting Methods
The system supports different methods depending on the data types used by variables. To learn more about campaign variables, please see [this article.](/campaigns/message-template-engine/what-is-the-message-template-engine)
## String methods
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* **ToUpper** (string): changes all letters to uppercase. Example: $\{Recipient.OnlyStandardFirstName\} — Alex $\{ToUpper(Recipient.OnlyStandardFirstName)} → ALEX
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* **ToLower** (string): changes all letters to lowercase. Example: $\{item.AdditionalData.Colour\} — Red $\{ToLower(item.AdditionalData.Colour)} → red
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* **Capitalize** (string): capitalizes the first letter of the first word in the string. Example: $\{item.Description\} — wide black belt $\{Capitalize(item.Description)} → Wide black belt
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* **CapitalizeAllWords** (string): capitalizes the first letter of each word. Example: $\{item.Description\} — wide black belt $\{CapitalizeAllWords(item.Description)} → Wide Black Belt
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* **ReplaceIfEmpty** (string1, string2): displays string 1. If empty, it displays string 2. Example: $\{Recipient.OnlyStandardFirstName\} — "" (empty string) $\{Recipient.AdditionalData.Nickname} — CoolGuy93 \$\{ReplaceIfEmpty(Recipient.OnlyStandardFirstName, Recipient.AdditionalData.Nickname)} → CoolGuy93
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* **IsEmpty** (string): checks if the string is empty. Example: $\{Recipient.OnlyStandardFirstName\} — Alex $\{IsEmpty(Recipient.OnlyStandardFirstName)} → true
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* **Length** (string): counts the number of characters in the variable. Example: $\{Recipient.LastName\} — Smith $\{Length(Recipient.LastName)} → 5
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* **Truncate** (string, character count): cuts off the string to the defined length and adds an ellipsis at the end. This ellipsis is counted as three characters. Example: $\{item.Description\} — item description $\{Truncate(item.Description, 10)} → item de...To remove a fixed quantity of characters from the end of a string, use the **Length()** function. X number of characters are removed from the end and three are added as an ellipsis instead.
For example, the method below removes the last seven characters:
$\{item.Description\} — Ruby ring No.123 $\{Truncate(item.Description, Length(item.Description) — 4)} → Ruby ring...
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* **Substring** (string, start, length (optional)): returns a substring that starts from the start character and contains the character count specified in **Length()**. If **Length()** is omitted, the whole string is returned: $\{Recipient.LastReceivedPromoCode.WithTypeUnique.Value\} — BGDK4444 $\{Substring(Recipient.LastReceivedPromoCode.WithTypeUnique.Value, 1, 4)} → BGDKUse the **Length()** function if you want to cut off a fixed number of characters from the end of a string.
For example, to remove the last four characters:
$\{Recipient.LastReceivedPromoCode.WithTypeUnique.Value\} — ABCDE1234 $\{Substring(Recipient.LastReceivedPromoCode.WithTypeUnique.Value, 1, Length(Recipient.LastReceivedPromoCode.WithTypeUnique.Value) — 4)} → ABCDE
To return the last four characters:
\$\{Substring(Recipient.LastReceivedPromoCode.WithTypeUnique.Value) — 3)} → 1234
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* ChooseRandomText (random string count, but at least one): randomly chooses a string from the list of variables. \$\{ChooseRandomText("text1″, "text2″, "text3″)} → text2
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## Methods for numeric values
* **FormatDecimal** (numeric value, format): formats any numeric values. **Example**: $\{balance\} — 20,000.12 $\{FormatDecimal(balance, 'N0′)} → 20,000 $\{FormatDecimal(balance, 'N1′)\} → 20,000.1 $\{FormatDecimal(balance, 'N2′)} → 20,000.12Please note that this method returns a numeric value as a string. To use it with some other numeric function, each variable must be unformatted.
#### Example: \$\{balance} — 20,000.12
$\{FormatDecimal (balance, 'N0')\} → 20,000$\{Forms(balance, 'bonus', 'bonuses')} → bonuses$\{Forms(balance, 'bonus', 'bonuses')\} → bonuses
When combined:$\{FormatDecimal(balance, 'N0')}\$\{Forms(balance, 'bonus', 'bonuses')} → 20,000 bonuses
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* **Forms** (numeric value, form1, form2, form3): returns a grammatically correct word form with respect to the numeric value. Example: $\{Recipient.AdditionalData.Age\} — 30 $\{Forms(Recipient.AdditionalData.Age, 'year old', 'years old')} → years old
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* **AppendForms** (numeric value, form1, form2, form3): returns a numeric value and a relevant word form divided by the space character. Example: $\{Recipient.AdditionalData.Age\} — 30 $\{AppendForms(Recipient.AdditionalData.Age, 'year old', 'years old')} → 30 years old
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* **Floor** (numeric value): returns a max integer value that does not exceed the variable. Example: $\{balance\} — 10.9 $\{Floor(balance)} → 10This method rounds up a numeric value to the nearest integer.
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* **Ceiling** (numeric value): returns a minimum integer value that is more than or equal to the variable. Example: ceiling (10.6) returns 11. $\{balance\} — 10.6 $\{Ceiling(balance)} → 11
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* **GetRandomNumber** (numeric value, numeric value): returns an integer value within a specified range, including the first number. Example: \$\{GetRandomNumber(1, 10)} returns a random number from 1 to 9.
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## Methods for date & time
* **FormatDateTime** (date, format): formats date & time values. Example: $\{CustomerAction.DateTimeWashington\} — 03/12/2024 10:30:00 $\{FormatDateTime(CustomerAction.DateTimeWashington, "d")} → 03/12/2024
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* **ToUnixTimeStamp**(date) — convert a date to [Unix Time Stamp](https://www.unixtimestamp.com/index.php) format: $\{Order.DateTime\} → 03/12/2024 15:00:00 (On a project with UTC+3:00 timezone) $\{ToUnixTimeStamp(Order.DateTime)} → 1710255600 You can calculate **the number of days between dates**: $\{Recipient.CustomField.Date1\} → 03/07/2024 00:00:00 $\{Recipient.CustomField.Date2} → 03/12/2024 00:00:00 $\{(ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date2)-ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date1)) / 86400\} → 5 $\{(ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date1)-ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date2)) / 86400} → −5 You can calculate **the number of hours between dates**: $\{Recipient.CustomField.Date1\} → 03/12/2024 12:00:00 $\{Recipient.CustomField.Date2} → 03/12/2024 22:00:00 $\{(ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date2)-ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date1)) / 3600\} → 10 $\{(ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date1)-ToUnixTimeStamp(Recipient.CustomField.Date2)) / 3600} → −10
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* **AddDays** (date, numeric value): returns the date value that is the sum of the date and the specified quantity of days. Example: The resulting date is earlier or later by X days: $\{Formatdatetime(Recipient.BirthDate, "dd/MM") \} — 05/03 $\{Formatdatetime(AddDays(Recipient.BirthDate, 5), "dd/MM") } → 10/03 \$\{Formatdatetime(AddDays(Recipient.BirthDate, −5), "dd/MM") } → 05/03
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* **GetDay** (date): returns the day in the date as a numeric value. You can apply arithmetic methods to this value. Example: $\{Recipient.BirthDate\} — 03/10/1984 00:00:00 $\{GetDay(Recipient.BirthDate)} → 10
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* **GetMonth** (date): returns the month in the date as a numeric value. You can apply arithmetic methods to this value. Example: $\{Recipient.BirthDate\} — 03/15/1993 0:00:00 $\{GetMonth(Recipient.BirthDate)} → 3
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* **GetYear** (date): returns the year in the date as a numeric value. You can apply arithmetic methods to this value. Example: $\{Recipient.BirthDate\} — 04/20/1975 0:00:00 $\{GetYear(Recipient.BirthDate)} → 1975 $\{Message.SendingDateTime\} — 10/20/2024 $\{GetYear(Message.SendingDateTime)} → 2024
## Methods for collections
* **TableRows** (collection, quantity of columns): transforms a collection of elements into a set of rows with cells. This can then help create HTML tables. For more information, please refer to [this article.](/campaigns/message-template-engine/how-use-variables-to-create-a-product-grid-layout-for-html)
* **Count** (collection): returns the number of elements in a collection / list. Example: \$\{Count(Order.Items)} → 5 corresponds to the five line items in the order.
* **collection.Take(N)**: returns the first N elements of the collection. Example: Products.GetBySegment("WomenWear").Take(3) collection of a maximum of three line items.
## Boolean methods (true/false)
* **If** (conditional statement, string1, string2): returns string1 if the statement is true or string2 if the statement is false. Example: $\{Order.AdditionalData.FreeShipping\} — true $\{If(Order.AdditionalData.FreeShipping, "free", "\$2″)} → free
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## Methods for images
* **ResizeImage** (URL, width, height): resizes images. You can send test emails to check how this method works. Images are resized as emails are composed. Example: \})
Hi</a>')\}
You can also put your code into an item’s description and get its value using the variable:$\{processHtml(Products.SearchInIdentity("c1").GetByValue("2134").Description)}
**Please note:**
* The code in the block should not contain any variables. This is not to be confused with an entire block returned using a variable (as in the example with a product description).
* You can use multiple blocks in one email. The system will record clicks for each of the blocks.
* Clicks can be viewed in the customer's profile. UTM parameters are also saved.
* Clicks will not be shown in reports or heatmaps.