String methods

[Tubs]

Am i missing something or does the .Net Framework have a quirk in the
way methods work on an object. In C++ MFC, if i have a CString and i
use the format method, i format the string i am using. In dotnet it
always asks me to pass it the string. Why can't i just say
"stringvariable.Format("0.00") and have it know what i mean. Is there
a way to achieve this? What am i doing wrong

[Armin Zingler]

"Tubs" <ts*******@commandalkon.com> schrieb

Am i missing something or does the .Net Framework have a quirk in
the way methods work on an object. In C++ MFC, if i have a CString
and i use the format method, i format the string i am using. In
dotnet it always asks me to pass it the string. Why can't i just
say "stringvariable.Format("0.00") and have it know what i mean. Is
there a way to achieve this? What am i doing wrong

A string is already a string, so it doesn't make sense (IMHO) to format it
again - not in the sense of converting a numeric value into a string using a
specified format. The String.Format function is to compose a string from
other strings.

You can format a numeric variable:
numvariable.ToString("0.00")
--
Armin

http://learn.to/quote
http://www.plig.net/nnq/nquote.html

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* ts*******@commandalkon.com (Tubs) scripsit:

Am i missing something or does the .Net Framework have a quirk in the
way methods work on an object. In C++ MFC, if i have a CString and i
use the format method, i format the string i am using. In dotnet it
always asks me to pass it the string. Why can't i just say
"stringvariable.Format("0.00") and have it know what i mean. Is there
a way to achieve this? What am i doing wrong

You can use 'intvariable.ToString(<format>)'.

Notice that on the one hand there is the 'String' class with its methods
and on the other hand there are the string _functions_ provided by the
Visual Basic .NET runtime library. 'Strings.Format' is provided by
VB.NET, not the 'String' class.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

<http://www.plig.net/nnq/nquote.html>

[EricJ]

i'm assuming you are trying to work w VB.NET here and not w C++.NET

Is there
a way to achieve this? What am i doing wrong
if you create your own string class and give it a format function you could
get the behaviour you are looking for

public sub farmatting(form as string)
thestring = format(thestring, form)
end sub

Public Overrides Function ToString() As String
Return thestring
End Function

and so on ..
Why can't i just say
"stringvariable.Format("0.00") and have it know what i mean.

why is it this way, i would think becouse its VB.net, unless i have serious
memory problems it was like that in vb6 and vb5 and vb4
eric

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* ts*******@commandalkon.com (Tubs) scripsit:

Am i missing something or does the .Net Framework have a quirk in the
way methods work on an object. In C++ MFC, if i have a CString and i
use the format method, i format the string i am using. In dotnet it
always asks me to pass it the string. Why can't i just say
"stringvariable.Format("0.00") and have it know what i mean. Is there
a way to achieve this? What am i doing wrong

On a 32 bit system it's better to use an 'Int32'.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

<http://www.plig.net/nnq/nquote.html>

[Troy Stauffer]

Thanks, i actually figured it out just before you answered. I was in
fact trying to format it for a certain format. I now see that you can
do this directly.

I do wonder about other methods though like Trim and the likes. I
actually picked a bad example since format is directly supported but i
want to do the same thing with all methods (or at least ones that make
sense). (e.g. if i have:
Dim sTest as String
sTest = "foobar "
I want to be able to say:
sTest.Trim() and then have sTest = "foobar" NOT
sTest = sTest.Trim()
seems counterintuitive to me. CStrings work this way so why not. Just
makes sense to me

Troy B. Stauffer
Jack of all trades, master of none :)

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***
Don't just participate in USENET...get rewarded for it!

[Armin Zingler]

"Troy Stauffer" <ts*******@commandalkon.com> schrieb

Thanks, i actually figured it out just before you answered. I was
in fact trying to format it for a certain format. I now see that you
can do this directly.

I do wonder about other methods though like Trim and the likes. I
actually picked a bad example since format is directly supported but
i want to do the same thing with all methods (or at least ones that
make sense). (e.g. if i have:
Dim sTest as String
sTest = "foobar "
I want to be able to say:
sTest.Trim() and then have sTest = "foobar" NOT
sTest = sTest.Trim()
seems counterintuitive to me. CStrings work this way so why not.
Just makes sense to me

Strings are immutable = the content can not be changed. Consequently, if you
need a changed/different string, you have to create a new one, and
consequently you need an assignment to store a refrence to the new string.
--
Armin

http://learn.to/quote
http://www.plig.net/nnq/nquote.html

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Errata:

On a 32 bit system it's better to use an 'Int32'.

Sorry, wrong thread...

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

<http://www.plig.net/nnq/nquote.html>

[Armin Zingler]

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hi*******@m.activevb.de> schrieb

Errata:

On a 32 bit system it's better to use an 'Int32'.

Sorry, wrong thread...

No problem - it's a multipurpose answer that fits in any thread. ;-))
--
Armin

[Troy Stauffer]

eh, while i understand the hard core symantics, the fact of the matter
is, if MS wanted to do this, they could just as easily as we can. Under
the covers they could just replace the current string with the new one
and no one would have to be the wiser. I do understand the new workings
of strings (hadn't thought of that until now) but it could be solved if
they really wanted to. :) my 2cents

Troy B. Stauffer
Jack of all trades, master of none :)

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***
Don't just participate in USENET...get rewarded for it!

[Fergus Cooney]

Hi Troy,

The StringBuilder works in the way that you describe - sbldrText.Replace
("Foo", "Bar") - is an in-place replacement. Unfortunately, StringBuilder
isn't half as rich as String in terms of methods.

I agree that sText.Trim could be handled by the compiler but it's not
really an MS choice, it's a language design choice.

Would you have sText.Trim return the new string as well as change the
one in question? I think your first inclination is to say 'No' because it's
just updated itself - why pass it back as well?

But it would have to - or force a lot of awkward programming.

Consider
sText.Trim
This would handily save an assignment when trimming the spaces from
sText. No problem.

If sText.Trim.EndsWith("Y") Then
This would trim sText. (Do I really want that? Probably not.) Now, if
Trim doesn't also pass back the result of the Trim, what does EndsWith get
to play with? That means that Trim <must> pass back the result as well as
update its string.

And now, to do the above without changing sText, I need
sTemp = sText
If sTemp.Trim.EndsWith("Y") Then
and bits of code like this will be peppered all over the code where once
there were simple concatenations of string functions.

It's swings and roundabouts - which would you prefer?

Regards,
Fergus

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* Troy Stauffer <ts*******@commandalkon.com> scripsit:

eh, while i understand the hard core symantics, the fact of the matter
is, if MS wanted to do this, they could just as easily as we can. Under
the covers they could just replace the current string with the new one
and no one would have to be the wiser. I do understand the new workings
of strings (hadn't thought of that until now) but it could be solved if
they really wanted to. :)

Strings are immutable. This has something to do with the memory
management. If you perform a lot of operations to a string, you may
want to use a 'StringBuilder' instead. This class provides something
like a buffer the operations take place on. This may increase
performance. Nevertheless, 'StringBuilder' is limited in functionality.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Cor]

Hi Herfried,

Strings are immutable. This has something to do with the memory
management. If you perform a lot of operations to a string, you may
want to use a 'StringBuilder' instead. This class provides something
like a buffer the operations take place on. This may increase
performance. Nevertheless, 'StringBuilder' is limited in functionality.

Where did you read that? Did you look on all members of Stringbuilder, would
be more than you expected I think

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...mberstopic.asp

:-))

Cor

[Crirus]

compared to this, is limited :))

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...mberstopic.asp

--
Ceers,
Crirus

------------------------------
If work were a good thing, the boss would take it all from you

------------------------------

"Cor" <no*@non.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

Hi Herfried,

Strings are immutable. This has something to do with the memory
management. If you perform a lot of operations to a string, you may
want to use a 'StringBuilder' instead. This class provides something
like a buffer the operations take place on. This may increase
performance. Nevertheless, 'StringBuilder' is limited in functionality.
Where did you read that? Did you look on all members of Stringbuilder,

would be more than you expected I think

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...mberstopic.asp
:-))

Cor

[Fergus Cooney]

Hi Cor,

He read it in my post just above his. He goes around repeating my posts for some
reason. Maybe he just likes to see his name in print and if he has to repeat someone else
he'll do it, or maybe he's been used to copying other people since he was a child.

Will you ask him nicely for me to stay away from me? It's a simple request but he just
doesn't seem to understand. All I want from him is <zero contact>.

Yours, resignedly,
Fergus

[Crirus]

You replyed t my post.... is about me what you say? :)

--
Ceers,
Crirus

------------------------------
If work were a good thing, the boss would take it all from you

------------------------------

"Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> wrote in message
news:uo****************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hi Cor,

He read it in my post just above his. He goes around repeating my posts for some reason. Maybe he just likes to see his name in print and if he has to repeat someone else he'll do it, or maybe he's been used to copying other people since he was a child.
Will you ask him nicely for me to stay away from me? It's a simple request but he just doesn't seem to understand. All I want from him is <zero contact>.

Yours, resignedly,
Fergus

[Cor]

Hi Fergus,

Herfried did not answer you in this thread.

(But you saw it yes, the first row from me was from an answer to you by
Herfried).

And don't worry, when I can tease him with it, I do, but your both stay my
friends.

:-))

Cor

He read it in my post just above his. He goes around repeating my posts for some reason. Maybe he just likes to see his name in print and if he has to repeat someone else he'll do it, or maybe he's been used to copying other people since he was a child. Will you ask him nicely for me to stay away from me? It's a simple

request but he just doesn't seem to understand. All I want from him is.

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Cor" <no*@non.com> scripsit:

Strings are immutable. This has something to do with the memory
management. If you perform a lot of operations to a string, you may
want to use a 'StringBuilder' instead. This class provides something
like a buffer the operations take place on. This may increase
performance. Nevertheless, 'StringBuilder' is limited in functionality.

Where did you read that? Did you look on all members of Stringbuilder, would
be more than you expected I think

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...mberstopic.asp

Yes, 'StringBilder' has lots of useful methods, nevertheless
'StringBuilder' has, for example, no 'Substring' method, no 'Trim', no
'IndexOf' etc. These are methods which are used often when manipulating
a string and these methods would be very useful for the 'StringBuilder'
too.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Crirus" <Cr****@datagroup.ro> scripsit:

You replyed t my post.... is about me what you say? :)

Don't feed the trolls.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> scripsit:

He read it in my post just above his.

Make sure you know and understand the basics of the usenet before
posting stuff like this.

Definition (taken from [1]):

<quote>
Asynchronous Methods of communication do not require you to be online or
connected at the same time as the other you are communicating with for
example as with voice mail, email or written letters.

In the online world email, lists, conferences and newsgroups are
examples of such a method of communication.
</quote>

Footnotes:

[1] <http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/conf.html>.

Related:

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/conduct/default.mspx>

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Fergus Cooney]

Hi Crirus,

Never to you! ;-)

In my OE my reply appears underneath yours as a second reply to Cor. And my message
refers to the thing which is calling itself a Troll and asking not to be fed.

Now's my chance to ask where you are from - I'm curious how to pronounce Crirus as I
say it to myself as Srirus but maybe it's a K sound?

Cheers,
Fergus

[Crirus]

LOL

In fact, this is only a pseudoname

My real name is Cristian Rusu (Crirus) K sound

I'm from Roumania

--
Ceers,
Crirus

------------------------------
If work were a good thing, the boss would take it all from you

------------------------------

"Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> wrote in message
news:OB**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hi Crirus,

Never to you! ;-)

In my OE my reply appears underneath yours as a second reply to Cor. And my message refers to the thing which is calling itself a Troll and asking not to be fed.
Now's my chance to ask where you are from - I'm curious how to pronounce Crirus as I say it to myself as Srirus but maybe it's a K sound?

Cheers,
Fergus

[Fergus Cooney]

Given that you respond to this post in a matter of minutes,
all those definitions and quotes are irrelevant.

There is no way that you can miss my posts of several hours ago
then respond within minutes now - and claim that it has anything to
do with asynchronous connections. You're talking out of your hat.

Very rarely does somebody else repeat another person's posts
several hours later. But you do it regularly. Why?

[Crirus]

oh, and yes, I sow wrong, your post is a reply to Cor

--
Ceers,
Crirus

------------------------------
If work were a good thing, the boss would take it all from you

------------------------------

"Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> wrote in message
news:OB**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hi Crirus,

Never to you! ;-)

In my OE my reply appears underneath yours as a second reply to Cor. And my message refers to the thing which is calling itself a Troll and asking not to be fed.
Now's my chance to ask where you are from - I'm curious how to pronounce Crirus as I say it to myself as Srirus but maybe it's a K sound?

Cheers,
Fergus

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> scripsit:

Given that you respond to this post in a matter of minutes,
all those definitions and quotes are irrelevant.

I explained it several times: When starting my machine in the morning,
I start downloading all the messages (>> 20.000). This will take a
while. My newsserver supports parallel download of messages, that's why
new messages appear from time to time.

But it seems that you don't read as many groups as I do and you have a
very fast internet connection, so you don't have the problem.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Fergus Cooney]

It seems that you don't read at all. I've said several times that I have a
<slow> connection.

It also seems to me that 20000 is a ridiculous number of messages to
download - c20MB of download?? Or did you actually mean 20 . 000
and if so, why go to three decimal places?

Do you claim to read 20000 messages?? Are there 20000 messages
generated per day in the groups that you go to??? 20000 messages
gives you about 4 seconds each to read and reply!!

Why do you lie so much??

[Cor]

Herfried,
Really again a serious discussion still something good from this again
awfull thread.

Yes, 'StringBilder' has lots of useful methods, nevertheless
'StringBuilder' has, for example, no 'Substring' method, no 'Trim', no
'IndexOf' etc. These are methods which are used often when manipulating
a string and these methods would be very useful for the 'StringBuilder'
too.

Substring and trim gets a part of a string, they don't build a string or
change the contents.

As an example

sa as new stringbuilder("How do you do in Wien")
sb as new
stringbuilder(trim(sa.tostring.substring(sa.tostri ng.indexof("Wien"))))

With that is nothing wong, you do not need extra's because you are not
building new strings, you cut a part out of it.

:-) dont look if there was an error in the code it is the idea.

Cor.

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> scripsit:

It seems that you don't read at all. I've said several times that I have a
<slow> connection.
I don't read every message in most other newsgroups. I am a lurker who
reds only messages/threads he is interested in. But that's not topic of
this group.
Do you claim to read 20000 messages??
No, I don't claim that.
generated per day in the groups that you go to??? 20000 messages
gives you about 4 seconds each to read and reply!!

I never said that I read all of them and that I reply to all of them.
That's your wrong interpretation.

But let's stop this useless discussion you started at this point.

<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/conduct/default.mspx>

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Cor" <no*@non.com> scripsit:

Really again a serious discussion still something good from this again
awfull thread.
:-)

Yes, 'StringBilder' has lots of useful methods, nevertheless
'StringBuilder' has, for example, no 'Substring' method, no 'Trim', no
'IndexOf' etc. These are methods which are used often when manipulating
a string and these methods would be very useful for the 'StringBuilder'
too.

Substring and trim gets a part of a string, they don't build a string or
change the contents.

You are right. But that's not the point. When building a very large
string I would prefer 'StringBuilder' for better performance. If I need
to perform operations like 'Substring' on the _string builder_ I will
need to convert it to a string with its 'ToString' method first. This
will reduce the performance, especially when dealing with really huge
strings.
As an example

sa as new stringbuilder("How do you do in Wien")
sb as new
stringbuilder(trim(sa.tostring.substring(sa.tostri ng.indexof("Wien"))))

With that is nothing wong, you do not need extra's because you are not
building new strings, you cut a part out of it.
'ToString' will return a _new_ 'String' object. This may reduce
performance. Or am I missing something? In the sample above some new
string objects are created only to access the contents of the string
builder. Maybe it would be better to store 'sa.ToString' in a string
before calling 'IndexOf' and 'Substring' on it -- nevertheless
'Substring' and 'IndexOf' work on a string, not the string builder
itself.
:-) dont look if there was an error in the code it is the idea.

:-)

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Fergus Cooney]

|| > Do you claim to read 20000 messages??
||
|| No, I don't claim that.

Side-stepping the issue again. You claimed to download 20000.
I challenged that and you happily skipped that question. Of course
you don't read 20000 messages. I pointed out to you how impossible
that would be. Even <you> can see how stupid it would be to claim
that.

Why have you only just put OT on your posts?

Please read the following:
<http://www.microsoft.com/communities/conduct/default.mspx>

And then stop replying to my posts.

|| But let's stop this useless discussion you started at this point.

I believe you posted this unecessary tripe to me.

|| Make sure you know and understand the basics of the usenet before
|| posting stuff like this.
||
|| Definition (taken from [1]):
||
|| <quote>
|| Asynchronous Methods of communication do not require you to be online or
|| connected at the same time as the other you are communicating with for
|| example as with voice mail, email or written letters.
||
|| In the online world email, lists, conferences and newsgroups are
|| examples of such a method of communication.
|| </quote>
||
|| Footnotes:
||
|| [1] <http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/conf.html>.
||
|| Related:
||
|| <http://www.microsoft.com/communities/conduct/default.mspx>
||
|| --
|| Herfried K. Wagner
|| PLS · VB Crassic, VB.NUT
|| <http://www.muppet.org/dotnet>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

* "Fergus Cooney" <fi****@post.com> scripsit:

Side-stepping the issue again. You claimed to download 20000.
I challenged that and you happily skipped that question. Of course
you don't read 20000 messages. I pointed out to you how impossible
that would be. Even <you> can see how stupid it would be to claim
that.
You didn't understand it.
And then stop replying to my posts.

I won't stop replying to your posts if this is necessary. If you have a
problem with basic things of a newsgroup, stop posting to it. Then you
won't get any unwanted replies. Or add my name to your sender
blacklist. It's up to you to cope with your problem.

But let's stop this useless discussion you started at this point.

I believe you posted this unecessary tripe to me.

It seems that you didn't even understand it yet.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
<http://www.mvps.org/dotnet>

[Fergus Cooney]

This is your standard phrase:

|| You didn't understand it.
|| It seems that you didn't even understand it yet

Why are you always talking about yourself.

[Jay B. Harlow [MVP - Outlook]]

Troy,

eh, while i understand the hard core symantics, the fact of the matter
is, if MS wanted to do this, they could just as easily as we can. Under
the covers they could just replace the current string with the new one At what expense though?

I understand that .NET implemented strings as immutable as its a cleaner
more efficient algorithm rather then how MFC does it or other methods. Which
means among other things the implementers of the .NET String do not need to
worry about aliasing problems where if I have two strings reference the same
'value' and I modified one of the variables.

Think carefully about the following:

Dim sTest as String
Dim sAlias As String
sTest = "foobar "
sAlias = sTest
sTest.Trim()

If String were mutable, how should String be implemented such that
sTest.Trim did not modify the value that sAlias is referencing? if
sTest.Trim modified what sAlias is referencing you have an alias problem,
for 'primitive' types as String, alias problems are not good.

If strings were mutable, The String class would either need to make a copy
of the string during the assignment (which is expensive) or it would keep
track of the number of references the string data (which is also expensive)
so that it would to make a copy of the string when it was first modified.
Which is also expensive! Without the reference count we may have to always
make a copy of the string data.

Make a copy when modified may seem like the solution here, however remember
that a String is an object, so to make a copy of the string data, you would
a StringData implementation class that String actually references, which
means each time we use a String we need to reference the String object,
which then references the String data object. Making String a value type
that references a StringData class instead may help...

Remember .NET does not support Copy Constructors or overloading the
Assignment operator which enables MFC strings to behave as you are use to.

Hope this helps
Jay
"Troy Stauffer" <ts*******@commandalkon.com> wrote in message
news:OV**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl... eh, while i understand the hard core symantics, the fact of the matter
is, if MS wanted to do this, they could just as easily as we can. Under
the covers they could just replace the current string with the new one
and no one would have to be the wiser. I do understand the new workings
of strings (hadn't thought of that until now) but it could be solved if
they really wanted to. :) my 2cents

Troy B. Stauffer
Jack of all trades, master of none :)

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***
Don't just participate in USENET...get rewarded for it!