Difference between revisions of "LlSubStringIndex"

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m (tweaked caveat, added see also function "String: Find Last Index")
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**Wildcards and RegEx are not supported.
**Wildcards and RegEx are not supported.
*Attempting to match an empty string ("") will return 0 instead of -1.
*Attempting to match an empty string ("") will return 0 instead of -1.
*There is no function to search the string from the end or search starting at a specific offset.
*There is no function to search the string starting at a specific offset. check [[LlSubStringIndex#See_Also|See Also]] for a function to search from the end.
|constants
|constants
|examples=Matching against last names:
|examples=Matching against last names:
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{{LSL DefineRow||[[llListFindList]]|Find a list in another list}}
{{LSL DefineRow||[[llListFindList]]|Find a list in another list}}
{{LSL DefineRow||[[llGetSubString]]|Copy out part of a string of characters}}
{{LSL DefineRow||[[llGetSubString]]|Copy out part of a string of characters}}
{{LSL DefineRow||[[User:Void_Singer/Functions#String:_Find_Last_Index|String: Find Last Index]]|Returns an integer that is the index of the '''last''' pattern in source.}}
|also_tests
|also_tests
|also_events
|also_events

Revision as of 23:46, 15 July 2009

Summary

Function: integer llSubStringIndex( string source, string pattern );
0.0 Forced Delay
10.0 Energy

Returns an integer that is the index of the first pattern in source.

• string source
• string pattern

If pattern is not found in source, -1 is returned.
The index of the first character in the string is 0

Caveats

  • Performs a literal match (case sensitive).
    • Wildcards and RegEx are not supported.
  • Attempting to match an empty string ("") will return 0 instead of -1.
  • There is no function to search the string starting at a specific offset. check See Also for a function to search from the end.

Examples

Matching against last names: <lsl> default {

   state_entry()
   {
       llSensorRepeat("", NULL_KEY, AGENT, PI, 96.0, 20);
   }
   
   sensor(integer NumDet)
   {
       integer i;
       
       //Loop through all the sensor data and match against " Linden", 
       //this causes it to match with any last name of Linden (since there can't be spaces before the firstname)
       //Alternatively you could match a firstname with "FirstName "
       for(i = 0; i < NumDet; ++i)
           if(~llSubStringIndex(llDetectedName(i), " Linden"))
               llInstantMessage(llDetectedKey(i), "Hello, I see you!");
   }

} </lsl>

Basic Example: <lsl>integer index = llSubStringIndex("string data","TEST"); if(index == -1) {

   llSay(0,"TEST was not found in the string");

} else {

   llSay(0,"TEST was found in the string.");

}</lsl>

String Cheese

<lsl>//This example shows how you can ask if a word or group of words is in a given string. //There is a limitation with this function. Your search of the string is for an exact match (case sensitive) //so the string_example below would be hard to match.

string string_example = "ThIs serVes As aN exaMplE sTrinG. It ISn't toO coMPleX bUt HaS sOme mIlD vARietY";

//If you chat a question "Search for search_word" within range of the object this script is in //it will recognize (by searching the chat msg) the "search for" part and take the word or words following it //and check the string_example for those words.

string search_test_a = "seArCh foR";

//The example below works the same way but searches for the word in front of the recognized trigger question.

string search_test_b = "is the word I seek";

//Using this variable provides a way to manipulate the word(s) during the script without damaging the msg.

string search_word;

default {

   on_rez(integer param)//Although reseting the script on_rez provides many benefits
   { //in some cases it would be a bad idea because stored variables, lists and queued events would be trashed.
       llResetScript();
   }
   state_entry()
   {   //This is just for fun (but better to know what object is talking to you).
       llSetObjectName("String Cheese");
       llListen(0, "", llGetOwner(), "");//Listen to you on the public chat channel for everything you say.
   }
   listen(integer chan, string name, key id, string msg)
   {
       if(llSubStringIndex(llToUpper(msg), llToUpper(search_test_a)) != -1)
       {
           search_word = llStringTrim(llGetSubString(msg, llStringLength(search_test_a), -1), STRING_TRIM);
           if(llSubStringIndex(llToUpper(string_example), llToUpper(search_word)) != -1)
           {
               llSay(0, "I have found the word " + "" + search_word + "" + " in the example string");
           }
           else                         
           {
               llSay(0, "I cannot find the word " + "" + search_word + "" + " in the example string.");
           }
       }
       if(llSubStringIndex(msg, search_test_b) != -1)
       {
           search_word = llStringTrim(llGetSubString(msg, 0, (llSubStringIndex(msg, search_test_b)-1)), STRING_TRIM);
           if(llSubStringIndex(string_example, search_word) != -1)
           {
               llSay(0, "I have found the word " + "" + search_word + "" + " in the example string");
           }
           else
           {
               llSay(0, "I cannot find the word " + "" + search_word + "" + " in the example string.");
           }
       }
   }
}</lsl>

Useful Snippets

Tests to see if one string contains a copy of another:

1. Concise & conventional:

<lsl> integer contains(string haystack, string needle) // http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/llSubStringIndex {

   return 0 <= llSubStringIndex(haystack, needle);

} </lsl>

<lsl>integer startswith(string haystack, string needle) // http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/llSubStringIndex {

   return llDeleteSubString(haystack, llStringLength(needle), -1) == needle;

}</lsl>

<lsl>integer endswith(string haystack, string needle) // http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/llSubStringIndex {

   return llDeleteSubString(haystack, 0, ~llStringLength(needle)) == needle;

}</lsl>

Note: Some of the snippets above return a result without ever calling llSubStringIndex.

2. Clever & smaller (calculates contains in ~54 bytes rather than ~60):

<lsl>integer contains(string haystack, string needle) // http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/llSubStringIndex {

   return ~llSubStringIndex(haystack, needle);

}</lsl>

Note: The llSubStringIndex function returns -1 only when not found and the ~ operator returns zero only for -1, so the clever combination ~llSubStringIndex returns zero only for not found, else nonzero for found.

Note: Smaller was not noticeably faster or slower when our Code Racer and Efficiency Tester harnesses measured the expression { contains("wiki.secondlife.com", "wiki"); }.

See Also

Functions

•  llListFindList Find a list in another list
•  llGetSubString Copy out part of a string of characters
•  String: Find Last Index Returns an integer that is the index of the last pattern in source.

Deep Notes

Signature

function integer llSubStringIndex( string source, string pattern );