---
title: "edifact/eancom DTM type check(format a, check type b, [force false c])"
slug: "edifact-eancom-dtm-type-check-format-a-check-type-b-force-false-c"
status: "new"
updated: 2026-10-16T14:56:53Z
published: 2026-10-16T14:56:53Z
canonical: "docs.lobstersoftware.com/edifact-eancom-dtm-type-check-format-a-check-type-b-force-false-c"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lobstersoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# edifact/eancom DTM type check(format a, check type b, [force false c])

Returns `true` if the DTM format code `a` (data element 2379) represents a value of the type specified by `b`; otherwise, `false`. The format code comes from a EDIFACT or EANCOM DTM segment.

**Example**: In `DTM+137:20240302:102'`, the format code is `102`.

This function allows you to determine how the value of a DTM segment should be processed before [edifact/eancom DTM to timestamp parsing](/v1/docs/edifact-eancom-dtm-to-timestamp-parsing-format-a-value-b-part-c) or [edifact/eancom DTM to number parsing](/v1/docs/edifact-eancom-dtm-to-number-parsing-format-a-value-b-part-c) is called, for example, in a mapping condition. Only the format code is checked; the value of the DTM segment is neither required nor used for this purpose.

Leading and trailing spaces in format code `a` and validation type `b` are removed; case is not significant.

## Parameter

| Parameter | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `a` | DTM format code (data element 2379), e.g., `102`, `203`, `718`. See the "Format codes" section below. An unknown format code results in an error and the process is terminated. |
| `b` | (optional) Type to be checked. - `date(time)` – The format code represents a date and/or a time, so it can be processed using [edifact/eancom DTM to timestamp parsing](/v1/docs/edifact-eancom-dtm-to-timestamp-parsing-format-a-value-b-part-c). - `only_date` – The format code represents a date without a time. - `only_time` – The format code represents a time without a date. - `number` – The format code represents a number or contains a number, so it can be processed using [edifact/eancom DTM to number parsing](/v1/docs/edifact-eancom-dtm-to-number-parsing-format-a-value-b-part-c). - `has_range` – This format code represents a time period consisting of a start and an end. Default: `date(time)` |
| `c` | (optional) Forces an empty value. If `true`, the function immediately returns an empty value with the empty flag set, without checking the format code `a` – for example, if the source field is empty. Default: `false` |

## Format codes

The following table lists the supported format codes and the validation types for which the function returns `true`. For all other combinations, the result is `false`.

| Codes | Meaning | date(time) | only_date | only_time | number | has_range |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2, 3, 4, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 608, 609, 610, 613, 614, 615, 616 | Calendar date | true | true | false | false | false |
| 6, 7, 8, 9 | Calendar date, followed by a number (half of the month, week of the month, shift, time period) | true | true | false | true | false |
| 5, 10, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 | Date and time | true | false | false | false | false |
| 209, 401, 402, 404, 405, 406 | Time | true | false | true | false | false |
| 104, 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710, 715, 716, 717, 718 | Time period consisting of two calendar dates | true | true | false | false | true |
| 308, 713, 719, 720, 721, 20E, 21E, 22E | Time period consisting of two date-time entries | true | false | false | false | true |
| 210, 501, 502, 503 | Time period consisting of two times | true | false | true | false | true |
| 107, 108, 109, 110, 801–814 | Number (day, week, or month number; number of years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, half-years, four-month periods, quarters, half-months, ten-day periods, days of the week, working days) | false | false | false | true | false |

EANCOM also defines the codes `20E`, `21E`, and `22E` (listed in the table under “Date-Time Periods”), which are not included in the UN code list. The definitions of the remaining format codes can be found in the code list for UN/CEFACT data element 2379: [UN/CEFACT UNCL 2379](https://service.unece.org/trade/uncefact/vocabulary/uncl2379/).

## Examples

The `c` parameter is empty unless otherwise specified.

| Parameter a | Parameter b | Parameter c | Result |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 6 | only_date |  | true |
| 6 | number |  | true |
| 102 |  |  | true |
| 102 | date(time) |  | true |
| 102 | only_date |  | true |
| 102 | only_time |  | false |
| 102 | number |  | false |
| 102 | has_range |  | false |
| 102 | ONLY_DATE |  | true, this validation type is not case-sensitive |
| 102 | only_date | true | Empty value with the empty flag set; `a` is not checked |
| 203 | date(time) |  | true |
| 203 | only_date |  | false |
| 308 | date(time) |  | true |
| 308 | has_range |  | true |
| 501 | only_time |  | true |
| 501 | has_range |  | true |
| 501 | only_date |  | false |
| 801 | date(time) |  | false |
| 801 | number |  | true |

### Error handling

| Parameter a | Parameter b | Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 999 | date(time) | Terminated with error *unsupported format code:* *"**999**"*. |
| 102 | weekday | Terminated with error *invalid check type* *"**weekday**"*. |

International EDI standard established by the UN for electronic data interchange. EDIFACT defines message types such as ORDERS, INVOICE, and DESADV.

## Related

- [Functions (GUI)](/phase-3-target-structure-functions.md)