string functions while rendering variable

I have an object [imageInfo], mapped to a provider [imageInfoProvider], which is mapped to a CAF async table. The table row renders various fields within imageInfo. One of the fields is documentID. I’ve inserted an IF/ELSE CAF controls to only render the documentID if the value is length<20. On the IF block, I’ve tried a number of combinations to get it evaluate to TRUE, but I cannot evaluate the length of the java.lang.string on the client side to invoke the IF/ELSE CAF block.

#{imageInfo.documentID.length() < 20} throws an error in designer stating it didn’t expect (
#{imageInfo.documentID.length < 20} throws an error in MWS stating .length is not a property
so then I tried creating an Action called isLessThanTwenty and had the IF block call that Action
#{isLessThanTwenty(imageInfo.documentID) eq “true”} to evaluate the expression. Now that is throwing an error in MWS stating
javax.el.ELException: Function ‘:isLessThanTwenty’ not found

i’m willing to try any method, if someone has a suggestion.

Thank you in advance