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NovaStar Core / Database Reference / Functions / Overview

The NovaStar database contains a number of functions that provide useful capabilities and can simplify SQL. Each function may have multiple signatures with different parameters to facilitate use in different situations.

Functions for Data Reports

The following functions are useful to select data reports for applications, for example to perform data analysis and visualization. The functions are optimized to read only the data partition tables that are used in a requested period.

NovaStar Database Functions for Data Reports

Function                                               Description
data_analysis_interval_list Analyze data and get a list of analyses within an interval of a given time.
data_analysis_interval_repeat Analyze data and get a list of analyses between a start and end time, at a frequency of a given interval.
data_first_report Get the first data record for point(s) and period.
data_last_report Get the last data record for point(s) and period.
data_partition_newest Get the name of the newest data partition table.
data_partition_oldest Get the name of the oldest data partition table.
data_partition_table_name Get the appropriate data partition table name for a timestamp.
data_select Select data records for point(s) and period.
first_agg Appears to be unused - may be phased out in the future.
last_agg Appears to be unused - may be phased out in the future.

Functions for Points

The following functions process point configuration data.

NovaStar Database Functions for Points

Function                                               Description
numidfrompoint Get the point numid for a point given its database id.
pointfromnumid Get point database id(s) for point(s) given point numid(s).
pointfromremoteid Get point database id(s) for point(s) given point remote id(s).
pointfromtagname Get point database id(s) for point(s) given point tag(s).
remoteidfromnumid Currently appears to be unused, may be phased out in the future.
remoteidfrompoint Currently appears to be unused, may be phased out in the future.

Functions for Point Types

The following functions process point type configuration data.

NovaStar Database Functions for Point Types

Function                                               Description
point_flag_array Gets an array of point flag and point flag name objects given a point type ID.
point_status_array Gets an array of a text representation of point status attributes given a point type ID.

Functions for Data Flags

The following functions are useful for data flags, for example to filter data records based on a data flag. The V flag indicates valid data, which is typically used to filter data reports for information products.

NovaStar Database Functions for Data Flags

Function Description
data_isflag Check whether a given flag is in a list of flags.
data_notflag Check whether a given flag is not in a list of flags.
data_isalarmed Check whether A is in a list of flags.
data_notalarmed Check whether A is not in a list of flags.
data_isbreak Check whether B is in a list of flags.
data_notbreak Check whether B is not in a list of flags.
data_ismaintenance Check whether M is in a list of flags.
data_notmaintenance Check whether M is not in a list of flags.
data_isquestioned Check whether Q is in a list of flags.
data_notquestioned Check whether Q is not in a list of flags.
data_isvalid Check whether V is in a list of flags.
data_notvalid Check whether V is not in a list of flags.
data_isverified Check whether E is in a list of flags.
data_notverified Check whether E is not in a list of flags.

Functions for Data Interval

The following functions process data interval, for example to convert a data interval string to number of seconds.

NovaStar Database Functions for Data Interval

Function                                               Description
interval_as_text Get a textual representation of an interval.
interval_from_seconds Get an interval object for an integer number of seconds.
interval_from_text Get an interval object from a string with an integer and a time unit.
interval_to_seconds Get the number of seconds in an interval.

Functions for System Applications

The following functions are primarily used by programs that perform system tasks and should not be used by user applications. Some of these functions may be deleted in the future.

NovaStar Database Functions for System Applications

Function Description
data_delete
novastar_test
nsdbdata
nsdbdeletetabletriggers
nsdbrole
station_type_poll_command
timestamp
uninstall-5.0.2.15
uninstall-obsolete
uninstall
updatetablesequence