comparison lispref/strings.texi @ 52947:3c1778936dff

(Creating Strings): Argument START to `substring' can not be `nil'. Expand description of `substring-no-properties'. Correct description of `split-string', especially with respect to empty matches. Prevent very bad line break in definition of `split-string-default-separators'. (Text Comparison): `string=' and `string<' also accept symbols as arguments. (String Conversion): More completely describe argument BASE in `string-to-number'. (Formatting Strings): `%s' and `%S" in `format' do require corresponding object. Clarify behavior of numeric prefix after `%' in `format'. (Case Conversion): The argument to `upcase-initials' can be a character.

52946:ad0680ce76f5

@noindent
In this example, the index for @samp{e} is @minus{}3, the index for
@samp{f} is @minus{}2, and the index for @samp{g} is @minus{}1.
Therefore, @samp{e} and @samp{f} are included, and @samp{g} is excluded.

When @code{nil} is used as an index, it stands for the length of the
string.  Thus,

@example
@group
(substring "abcdefg" -3 nil)

@example
(substring [a b (c) "d"] 1 3)
     @result{} [b (c)]
@end example

A @code{wrong-type-argument} error is signaled if either @var{start} or
@var{end} is not an integer or @code{nil}.  An @code{args-out-of-range}
error is signaled if @var{start} indicates a character following
@var{end}, or if either integer is out of range for @var{string}.

Contrast this function with @code{buffer-substring} (@pxref{Buffer
Contents}), which returns a string containing a portion of the text in
the current buffer.  The beginning of a string is at index 0, but the
beginning of a buffer is at index 1.
@end defun

@defun substring-no-properties string start &optional end
This works like @code{substring} but discards all text properties
from the value.
@end defun

@defun concat &rest sequences
@cindex copying strings
@cindex concatenating strings

description of @code{mapconcat} in @ref{Mapping Functions},
@code{vconcat} in @ref{Vector Functions}, and @code{append} in @ref{Building
Lists}.
@end defun

@defun split-string string separators omit-nulls
This function splits @var{string} into substrings at matches for the
regular expression @var{separators}.  Each match for @var{separators}
defines a splitting point; the substrings between the splitting points
are made into a list, which is the value returned by
@code{split-string}.

As a special case, when @var{separators} is @code{nil} (or omitted),
null strings are always omitted from the result.  Thus:

@example
(split-string "  two words ")
@result{} ("two" "words")
@end example

The result is not @samp{("" "two" "words" "")}, which would rarely be
useful.  If you need such a result, use an explict value for
@var{separators}:

@example
(split-string "  two words " split-string-default-separators)
@result{} ("" "two" "words" "")
@end example

More examples:

@example
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o")
@result{} ("S" "up is g" "" "d f" "" "d")
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o" t)
@result{} ("S" "up is g" "d f" "d")
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o+")
@result{} ("S" "up is g" "d f" "d")
@end example

Empty matches do count, when not adjacent to another match:

@example
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o*")
@result{}("S" "u" "p" " " "i" "s" " " "g" "d" " " "f" "d")
(split-string "Nice doggy!" "")
@result{}("N" "i" "c" "e" " " "d" "o" "g" "g" "y" "!")
@end example
@end defun

@defvar split-string-default-separators
The default value of @var{separators} for @code{split-string}, initially
@samp{"[ \f\t\n\r\v]+"}.
@end defvar

@node Modifying Strings
@section Modifying Strings

@end example
@end defun

@defun string= string1 string2
This function returns @code{t} if the characters of the two strings
match exactly.
Case is always significant, regardless of @code{case-fold-search}.

@example
(string= "abc" "abc")
     @result{} t

     @result{} nil
(string< "" "")
     @result{} nil
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun string-lessp string1 string2
@code{string-lessp} is another name for @code{string<}.
@end defun

negative.

@example
(number-to-string 256)
     @result{} "256"
(number-to-string -23)
     @result{} "-23"
(number-to-string -23.5)
     @result{} "-23.5"
@end example

@cindex int-to-string

@end defun

@defun string-to-number string &optional base
@cindex string to number
This function returns the numeric value of the characters in
@var{string}.  If @var{base} is non-@code{nil}, integers are converted
in that base.  If @var{base} is @code{nil}, then base ten is used.
Floating point conversion always uses base ten; we have not implemented
other radices for floating point numbers, because that would be much
more work and does not seem useful.  If @var{string} looks like an
integer but its value is too large to fit into a Lisp integer,
@code{string-to-number} returns a floating point result.

The parsing skips spaces and tabs at the beginning of @var{string}, then
reads as much of @var{string} as it can interpret as a number.  (On some
systems it ignores other whitespace at the beginning, not just spaces
and tabs.)  If the first character after the ignored whitespace is
neither a digit, nor a plus or minus sign, nor the leading dot of a
floating point number, this function returns 0.

@example
(string-to-number "256")
     @result{} 256
(string-to-number "25 is a perfect square.")

Starting in Emacs 21, if the object is a string, its text properties are
copied into the output.  The text properties of the @samp{%s} itself
are also copied, but those of the object take priority.

If there is no corresponding object, the empty string is used.

@item %S
Replace the specification with the printed representation of the object,
made with quoting (that is, using @code{prin1}---@pxref{Output
Functions}).  Thus, strings are enclosed in @samp{"} characters, and
@samp{\} characters appear where necessary before special characters.

If there is no corresponding object, the empty string is used.

@item %o
@cindex integer to octal
Replace the specification with the base-eight representation of an
integer.

@cindex numeric prefix
@cindex field width
@cindex padding
  All the specification characters allow an optional numeric prefix
between the @samp{%} and the character.  The optional numeric prefix
defines the minimum width for the object.  If the printed representation
of the object contains fewer characters than this, then it is padded.
The padding is on the left if the prefix is positive (or starts with
zero) and on the right if the prefix is negative.  The padding character
is normally a space, but if the numeric prefix starts with a zero, zeros
are used for padding.  Here are some examples of padding:

@example
(format "%06d is padded on the left with zeros" 123)
     @result{} "000123 is padded on the left with zeros"

When the argument to @code{capitalize} is a character, @code{capitalize}
has the same result as @code{upcase}.

@example
(capitalize "The cat in the hat")
     @result{} "The Cat In The Hat"

(capitalize "THE 77TH-HATTED CAT")
     @result{} "The 77th-Hatted Cat"

@group
(capitalize ?x)
     @result{} 88
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun upcase-initials string
This function capitalizes the initials of the words in @var{string},
without altering any letters other than the initials.  It returns a new
string whose contents are a copy of @var{string}, in which each word has
had its initial letter converted to upper case.

The definition of a word is any sequence of consecutive characters that
are assigned to the word constituent syntax class in the current syntax
table (@pxref{Syntax Class Table}).

@example
@group
(upcase-initials "The CAT in the hAt")
     @result{} "The CAT In The HAt"

52947:3c1778936dff

@noindent
In this example, the index for @samp{e} is @minus{}3, the index for
@samp{f} is @minus{}2, and the index for @samp{g} is @minus{}1.
Therefore, @samp{e} and @samp{f} are included, and @samp{g} is excluded.

When @code{nil} is used for @var{end}, it stands for the length of the
string.  Thus,

@example
@group
(substring "abcdefg" -3 nil)

@example
(substring [a b (c) "d"] 1 3)
     @result{} [b (c)]
@end example

A @code{wrong-type-argument} error is signaled if @var{start} is not
an integer or if @var{end} is neither an integer nor @code{nil}.  An
@code{args-out-of-range} error is signaled if @var{start} indicates a
character following @var{end}, or if either integer is out of range
for @var{string}.

Contrast this function with @code{buffer-substring} (@pxref{Buffer
Contents}), which returns a string containing a portion of the text in
the current buffer.  The beginning of a string is at index 0, but the
beginning of a buffer is at index 1.
@end defun

@defun substring-no-properties string &optional start end
This works like @code{substring} but discards all text properties from
the value.  Also, @var{start} may be omitted or @code{nil}, which is
equivalent to 0.  Thus, @w{@code{(substring-no-properties
@var{string})}} returns a copy of @var{string}, with all text
properties removed.
@end defun

@defun concat &rest sequences
@cindex copying strings
@cindex concatenating strings

description of @code{mapconcat} in @ref{Mapping Functions},
@code{vconcat} in @ref{Vector Functions}, and @code{append} in @ref{Building
Lists}.
@end defun

@defun split-string string &optional separators omit-nulls
This function splits @var{string} into substrings at matches for the
regular expression @var{separators}.  Each match for @var{separators}
defines a splitting point; the substrings between the splitting points
are made into a list, which is the value returned by
@code{split-string}.

As a special case, when @var{separators} is @code{nil} (or omitted),
null strings are always omitted from the result.  Thus:

@example
(split-string "  two words ")
     @result{} ("two" "words")
@end example

The result is not @samp{("" "two" "words" "")}, which would rarely be
useful.  If you need such a result, use an explict value for
@var{separators}:

@example
(split-string "  two words " split-string-default-separators)
     @result{} ("" "two" "words" "")
@end example

More examples:

@example
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o")
     @result{} ("S" "up is g" "" "d f" "" "d")
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o" t)
     @result{} ("S" "up is g" "d f" "d")
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o+")
     @result{} ("S" "up is g" "d f" "d")
@end example

Empty matches do count, except that @code{split-string} will not look
for a final empty match when it already reached the end of the string
using a non-empty match or when @var{string} is empty:

@example
(split-string "aooob" "o*")
     @result{} ("" "a" "" "b" "")
(split-string "ooaboo" "o*")
     @result{} ("" "" "a" "b" "")
(split-string "" "")
     @result{} ("")
@end example

However, when @var{separators} can match the empty string,
@var{omit-nulls} is usually @code{t}, so that the subtleties in the
three previous examples are rarely relevant:

@example
(split-string "Soup is good food" "o*" t)
     @result{} ("S" "u" "p" " " "i" "s" " " "g" "d" " " "f" "d")
(split-string "Nice doggy!" "" t)
     @result{} ("N" "i" "c" "e" " " "d" "o" "g" "g" "y" "!")
(split-string "" "" t)
     @result{} nil
@end example

Somewhat odd, but predictable, behavior can occur for certain
``non-greedy'' values of @var{separators} that can prefer empty
matches over non-empty matches.  Again, such values rarely occur in
practice:

@example
(split-string "ooo" "o*" t)
     @result{} nil
(split-string "ooo" "\\|o+" t)
     @result{} ("o" "o" "o")
@end example
@end defun

@defvar split-string-default-separators
The default value of @var{separators} for @code{split-string}, initially
@w{@samp{"[ \f\t\n\r\v]+"}}.
@end defvar

@node Modifying Strings
@section Modifying Strings

@end example
@end defun

@defun string= string1 string2
This function returns @code{t} if the characters of the two strings
match exactly.  Symbols are also allowed as arguments, in which case
their print names are used.
Case is always significant, regardless of @code{case-fold-search}.

@example
(string= "abc" "abc")
     @result{} t

     @result{} nil
(string< "" "")
     @result{} nil
@end group
@end example

Symbols are also allowed as arguments, in which case their print names
are used.
@end defun

@defun string-lessp string1 string2
@code{string-lessp} is another name for @code{string<}.
@end defun

negative.

@example
(number-to-string 256)
     @result{} "256"
@group
(number-to-string -23)
     @result{} "-23"
@end group
(number-to-string -23.5)
     @result{} "-23.5"
@end example

@cindex int-to-string

@end defun

@defun string-to-number string &optional base
@cindex string to number
This function returns the numeric value of the characters in
@var{string}.  If @var{base} is non-@code{nil}, it must be an integer
between 2 and 16 (inclusive), and integers are converted in that base.
If @var{base} is @code{nil}, then base ten is used.  Floating point
conversion only works in base ten; we have not implemented other
radices for floating point numbers, because that would be much more
work and does not seem useful.  If @var{string} looks like an integer
but its value is too large to fit into a Lisp integer,
@code{string-to-number} returns a floating point result.

The parsing skips spaces and tabs at the beginning of @var{string},
then reads as much of @var{string} as it can interpret as a number in
the given base.  (On some systems it ignores other whitespace at the
beginning, not just spaces and tabs.)  If the first character after
the ignored whitespace is neither a digit in the given base, nor a
plus or minus sign, nor the leading dot of a floating point number,
this function returns 0.

@example
(string-to-number "256")
     @result{} 256
(string-to-number "25 is a perfect square.")

Starting in Emacs 21, if the object is a string, its text properties are
copied into the output.  The text properties of the @samp{%s} itself
are also copied, but those of the object take priority.

@item %S
Replace the specification with the printed representation of the object,
made with quoting (that is, using @code{prin1}---@pxref{Output
Functions}).  Thus, strings are enclosed in @samp{"} characters, and
@samp{\} characters appear where necessary before special characters.

@item %o
@cindex integer to octal
Replace the specification with the base-eight representation of an
integer.

@cindex numeric prefix
@cindex field width
@cindex padding
  All the specification characters allow an optional numeric prefix
between the @samp{%} and the character.  The optional numeric prefix
defines the minimum width for the object.  If the printed
representation of the object contains fewer characters than this, then
it is padded.  The padding is on the left if the prefix is positive
(or starts with zero) and on the right if the prefix is negative.  The
padding character is normally a space, but if the numeric prefix
starts with a zero, zeros are used for padding.  Some of these
conventions are ignored for specification characters for which they do
not make sense.  That is, %s, %S and %c accept a numeric prefix
starting with 0, but still pad with @emph{spaces} on the left.  Also,
%% accepts a numeric prefix, but ignores it.  Here are some examples
of padding:

@example
(format "%06d is padded on the left with zeros" 123)
     @result{} "000123 is padded on the left with zeros"

When the argument to @code{capitalize} is a character, @code{capitalize}
has the same result as @code{upcase}.

@example
@group
(capitalize "The cat in the hat")
     @result{} "The Cat In The Hat"
@end group

@group
(capitalize "THE 77TH-HATTED CAT")
     @result{} "The 77th-Hatted Cat"
@end group

@group
(capitalize ?x)
     @result{} 88
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun upcase-initials string-or-char
If @var{string-or-char} is a string, this function capitalizes the
initials of the words in @var{string-or-char}, without altering any
letters other than the initials.  It returns a new string whose
contents are a copy of @var{string-or-char}, in which each word has
had its initial letter converted to upper case.

The definition of a word is any sequence of consecutive characters that
are assigned to the word constituent syntax class in the current syntax
table (@pxref{Syntax Class Table}).

When the argument to @code{upcase-initials} is a character,
@code{upcase-initials} has the same result as @code{upcase}.

@example
@group
(upcase-initials "The CAT in the hAt")
     @result{} "The CAT In The HAt"