Inspiring

Answered

Help with String.split() for newline and spaces

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
August 4, 2009
2 replies
10405 views

What I am trying to do is take a string of numbers and convert it into an array, while cutting out the non-digits. Here is the format:

1.0000000e+000 1.3668423e+000

...

So it's basically: Space, Space, Digit, Space, Space, Digit, Newline

Right now I am using the following code (myString is a String, and dataSet1 is an Array):

var reg:RegExp = new RegExp("\n ");

myString = textLoader.data;
dataSet1 = myString.split(reg);

I've tried ("\n\s ") and ("(\n)(\s*)") and lots of other combinations, but I cannot seem to grasp how to do multiple conditions in a regular expression. All I need it to do is eliminate all spaces and newlines and I should be good.

I appreciate any and all help, thanks.

ActionScript

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer

You could use the Array.map method to convert your strings. Something like this:

function str2Num(element:*, index:int, arr:Array):Number
{
return Number(element);
}

var arr:Array;

arr = myString.replace(/^\s+/,"").replace(/\s+$/,"").split(/\s+/);

arr = map(str2Num,null);

// or combine all in one statement

arr = myString.replace(/^\s+/,"").replace(/\s+$/,"").split(/\s+/).map(str2Num,null);

A

Anonymous

This removes both leading and trailing whitespace and then splits on any sequence of one or more whitespace characters:

var arr:Array = myString.replace(/^\s+/,"").replace(/\s+$/,"").split(/\s+/);

Missing CodeAuthor

Inspiring

Thank you, this seems to work perfectly. But I have one last question or two. In the regular expression, what spaces are being replaced with the replaces method and then what spaces are left to be split? I also don't understand how this removes newline character? Here's the data format in the String (read from a file if it makes a difference):

[SPACE][SPACE or -][Number][SPACE][SPACE or -][Number][\n]

...etc

I guess that /^\s+/ removes the first one or two spaces, and /\s+$/ removes newline, and /\s+/ takes care of the inbetween spaces? I'm really not clear on this even with my book that discusses regular expressions, I just don't understands how it knows to target what parts.

Thanks.

A

Anonymous

\s matches any whitespace character: space, tab, newline, return

/^\s+/ matches one or more whitespace characters at the beginning of the string

/\s+$/ matches one or more whitespace characters at the end of the string

var arr:Array = myString.replace(/^\s+/,"").replace(/\s+$/,"").split(/\s+/);

is the same as:

myString= myString.replace(/^\s+/,""); // remove leading whitespace
myString= myString.replace(/\s+$/,"") // remove trailing whitespace
var arr:Array= s.split(/\s+/); // split on remaining whitespace

A

Adasha

Participant

here ya go:

var reg:RegExp = /\n| /;
var arr:Array = myString.split(reg);

remember your array items will still be strings until you convert them to numbers

Missing CodeAuthor

Inspiring

You are right, I need to convert my data into Nubmers (I think this is the appropriate data type). Is there a way for my to do a mass conversion on the Array, or can I do the conversion during the converstion from String to Array? Sorry, I know this isn't in the original question, but if you know how could you let me know, thanks!

A

Anonymous

Correct answer

You could use the Array.map method to convert your strings. Something like this:

function str2Num(element:*, index:int, arr:Array):Number
{
return Number(element);
}

var arr:Array;

arr = myString.replace(/^\s+/,"").replace(/\s+$/,"").split(/\s+/);

arr = map(str2Num,null);

// or combine all in one statement

arr = myString.replace(/^\s+/,"").replace(/\s+$/,"").split(/\s+/).map(str2Num,null);

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