String Find and Replace

[SMcNeill]

@bplus See what you think of this style string replacement:

Code: (Select All)

O$ = "12/24/2025"

Print String.Replace.Part(O$, "...??.....", "??", "31") 'string replace part allows us to set a pattern and change our original

Print String.Replace.Part(O$, "..?..?....", "?", "-") 'in relation to that pattern, which is useful for stuff like:

Print

Print

Print Date$ 'the originial version

Print String.Convert.Date(Date$, "Mm-Dd-Year", "Year-Mm-Dd") 'change the pattern from MM-DD-YYYY to YYYY-MM-DD

Print String.Convert.Date(Date$, "Mm-Dd-Year", "Dd-Mm-Year") 'to the weird other side of the world pattern of DD-MM-YYYY



Function String.Convert.Date$ (Source As String, oFormat As String, nFormat As String)

    Dim T As String

    T = Source

    For i = 1 To Len(T)

        T = String.Replace.Part(T, nFormat, Mid$(oFormat, i, 1), Mid$(Source, i, 1))

    Next

    String.Convert.Date = T

End Function



Function String.Get.Part$ (Source As String, Format As String, Part As String)

    'this routine allows us to get partial information from a properly formatted string

    'format should be something similar to:

    'YYYY/MM/DD

    'YY-MM-DD

    'or similar.  What we're looking for is the PART we specify in that format.

    Dim As Long p



    p = InStr(UCase$(Format), Part)

    If Len(Source) <> Len(Format) _OrElse p = 0 Then

        _MessageBox "Bad Format", "Error: Passing String with invalid format to Function String.Get.Part.", "error"

    Else

        String.Get.Part = Mid$(Source, p, Len(Part))

    End If

End Function





Function String.Replace.Part$ (Source As String, Format As String, Part As String, Replacement As String)

    'this routine allows us to get partial information from a properly formatted string

    'format should be something similar to:

    'YYYY/MM/DD

    'YY-MM-DD

    'or similar.  What we're looking for is the PART we specify in that format.

    Dim As Long p

    Dim As String T

    T = Source

    p = InStr(Format, Part)

    If Len(Source) <> Len(Format) _OrElse p = 0 _OrElse Len(Part) <> Len(Replacement) Then

        _MessageBox "Bad Format", "Error: Passing String with invalid format to Function String.Replace.Part.", "error"

    Else

        Do

            Mid$(T, p, Len(Replacement)) = Replacement

            String.Replace.Part = T

            p = InStr(p + 1, Format, Part)

        Loop Until p = 0

    End If

End Function

Instead of just saying "Replace CAT with DOG", this lets you specify patterns to replace so you can completely reformat strings and such very quick and easily.

Note that since this requires set patterns, you can't replace "APPLE" with "BANANAORANGE" as the patterns don't match. It shouldn't be too hard to swap it to do such, but that's not something I was looking for here. I'm just looking to set a pattern, a replacement pattern, and then replace those chose parts quickly and easily.