Padding fixed-length strings

[Richard Maher]

Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?

Cheers Richard Maher

[Randy Webb]

Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:

Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javas cript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[-Lost]

"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:4L******** ************@gi ganews.com...

Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:

>Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

Well, um, to quote you, "Did you test that?" : )

-Lost

[Lee]

-Lost said:

>
"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:4L******* *************@g iganews.com...

>Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:

>>Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

Well, um, to quote you, "Did you test that?" : )

Did you? What seems to be wrong with it?
--

[-Lost]

"Lee" <RE************ **@cox.netwrote in message news:ev******** @drn.newsguy.co m...

-Lost said:

>>
"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:4L****** **************@ giganews.com...

>>Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:
Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

Well, um, to quote you, "Did you test that?" : )

Did you? What seems to be wrong with it?

You know, I did. I also however, forgot to test in something other than Firefox.

I wonder why Firefox will not allow multiple spaces in an alert() then?

-Lost

[Evertjan.]

Randy Webb wrote on 14 apr 2007 in comp.lang.javas cript:

Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:

>Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other)
for padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is
the largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a
substring of that to my source string so that it ends up the right
size. This all works well but, if possible, I'd like a more
generic/elegant approach to manufacturing N spaces. Is the a regular
expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

<script type='text/javascript'>

// Without looping, with cutoff of too long strings
// IE7 and FF tested

function fixedLength(s,n ){
n = (n<0) ?0 :n
s = s.substr(0,n);
var a = [];
a.length = n - s.length + 1;
return s + a.join(' ');
};

// testing:

a = fixedLength('te st',12);
alert('>' + a + '< ' + a.length);

a = fixedLength('te st',3);
alert('>' + a + '< ' + a.length);

a = fixedLength('te st',-22);
alert('>' + a + '< ' + a.length);

</script>
--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

[Randy Webb]

-Lost said the following on 4/14/2007 12:31 AM:

"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:4L******** ************@gi ganews.com...

>Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:

>>Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

Well, um, to quote you, "Did you test that?" : )

Yes I did. And I get the results I expected in FF, IE and Opera. Did
*you* test it? And if you got different results, what were they and what
OS/Browser gave them? There is a reason I added the and < though.
--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javas cript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[-Lost]

"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:Se******** ************@gi ganews.com...

-Lost said the following on 4/14/2007 12:31 AM:

>"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:4L******* *************@g iganews.com...

>>Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:
Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?
var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

Well, um, to quote you, "Did you test that?" : )

Yes I did. And I get the results I expected in FF, IE and Opera. Did *you* test it? And
if you got different results, what were they and what OS/Browser gave them? There is a
reason I added the and < though.

In Firefox 1.5.0.11 on Windows XP SP2, I get:

>test < (notice only one space)

As Lee suggested, I ended up testing in Opera and Internet Explorer (6, not 7) and noticed
that they both allow spaces in the alert() string. Firefox will not give me more than
one.

I actually remembered coming across this situation before, that is why when I saw it, I
tested it in Firefox (to make sure I remembered it correctly), noticed it did not pad
spaces, then posted. Sorry for not checking it more thoroughly. Then my question would
have just been, "Hey, why does that not work in Firefox? At least for me..."

Thanks!

-Lost

[Randy Webb]

-Lost said the following on 4/14/2007 11:18 AM:

"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:Se******** ************@gi ganews.com...

>-Lost said the following on 4/14/2007 12:31 AM:

>>"Randy Webb" <Hi************ @aol.comwrote in message
news:4L****** **************@ giganews.com...
Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:
Hi,
>
Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other) for
padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?
>
At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is the
largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a substring of that
to my source string so that it ends up the right size. This all works well
but, if possible, I'd like a more generic/elegant approach to manufacturing
N spaces. Is the a regular expression to returning {N}*aString?
var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")
Well, um, to quote you, "Did you test that?" : )

Yes I did. And I get the results I expected in FF, IE and Opera. Did *you* test it? And
if you got different results, what were they and what OS/Browser gave them? There is a
reason I added the and < though.

In Firefox 1.5.0.11 on Windows XP SP2, I get:

>test < (notice only one space)

As Lee suggested, I ended up testing in Opera and Internet Explorer (6, not 7) and noticed
that they both allow spaces in the alert() string. Firefox will not give me more than
one.

Testing it further in IE and FF2.0 I get some results that I wouldn't
expect where the length of testString is 16 instead of 12 (and I know
why) so I should tested it more thoroughly. Oh well :)

--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javas cript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[Richard Maher]

Hi Evertjan,

"Evertjan." <ex************ **@interxnl.net wrote in message
news:Xn******** ************@19 4.109.133.242.. .

Randy Webb wrote on 14 apr 2007 in comp.lang.javas cript:

Richard Maher said the following on 4/13/2007 10:35 PM:

Hi,

Can anyone please show me a regular expression (or function or other)
for padding out a string to a fixed number of bytes?

At the moment I've got a var initialized to N spaces, where 'N' is
the largest string I have to pad out, and then I concatenate a
substring of that to my source string so that it ends up the right
size. This all works well but, if possible, I'd like a more
generic/elegant approach to manufacturing N spaces. Is the a regular
expression to returning {N}*aString?

var lengthRequired = 12
var testString = "test"
while (testString.len gth<lengthRequi red){
testString += " ";
}
alert(">" + testString + "<")

<script type='text/javascript'>

// Without looping, with cutoff of too long strings
// IE7 and FF tested

function fixedLength(s,n ){
n = (n<0) ?0 :n
s = s.substr(0,n);
var a = [];
a.length = n - s.length + 1;
return s + a.join(' ');
};

// testing:

a = fixedLength('te st',12);
alert('>' + a + '< ' + a.length);

a = fixedLength('te st',3);
alert('>' + a + '< ' + a.length);

a = fixedLength('te st',-22);
alert('>' + a + '< ' + a.length);

</script>
--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

I like it. I'll use the Array length/join(' ') at initialize time as a sort
of space$() function to preallocate a maximum space-filled string, but then
stick to substringing out of that the number of space bytes I need for
padding. Thanks for the help.

Cheers Richard Maher