Unspace (String function)

Remove whitespace characters from the string (String class)

This intrinsic function removes the whitespace characters from the method object string and it returns the resulting string. Options are available to:

• Define which character or characters are to be interpreted as whitespace
• Remove leading whitespace, trailing whitespace, both or neither
• Collapse to a single whitespace character any sequences of non-leading, non-trailing whitespace

The Unspace function is available as of version 7.3 of the Sirius Mods.

Syntax

%outString = string:Unspace[( [Spaces= string], [Leading= boolean], - [Trailing= boolean], [Compress= boolean])]

Syntax terms

%outStr

A variable to receive the string result of the Unspace method.

string

The input string or Longstring.

Spaces=chars

The optional Spaces argument (name required) is a string that specifies the set of characters considered to be whitespace. The default set is the blank character. If you specify multiple Spaces characters:

• There is no separator character.
• The first character of the string is the replacement space character: a single one of these is substituted for each sequence (which may be one) of non-leading, non-trailing Spaces characters in the method object string.

Leading=bool

The optional Leading argument (name required) is a Boolean value that specifies whether to strip all leading whitespace characters. The default is 'True', strip leading whitespace.

Trailing=bool

The optional Trailing argument (name required) is a Boolean value that specifies whether to strip all trailing whitespace characters. The default is 'True', strip trailing whitespace.

Compress=bool

The optional Compress argument (name required) is a Boolean value that specifies whether to collapse non-leading, non-trailing sequences of spaces to single spaces. The default is 'True', collapse such sequences.

Usage notes

• Duplicate Spaces characters are tolerated and do not affect the result.
• Prior to Version 7.8 of the Sirius Mods, Unspace compressed a string consisting entirely of whitespace characters to a single whitespace character. As of version 7.8 (and also in version 7.7 maintenance), Unspace converts a string of whitespace characters to a null string. The version 7.8 result of PrintText {~} = X{' ':unspace}X is:

  '    ':unspace = XX

Examples

The following are example Unspace statements:

   %ls is longstring                                                                            
   %ls = '    so  me     chars   '                                                              
                                                                                                
   printText {~} = {%ls:unspace()}                                      
   PrintText {~} = {%ls:unspace(Spaces='X ')}                                                   
   PrintText {~} = {%ls:unspace(leading=false)}                                                 
   PrintText {~} = {%ls:unspace(trailing=false)}                                                
   PrintText {~} = {%ls:unspace(compress=false)}                                                
                                                                                                

The results are respectively:

   %ls:unspace() = so me chars                                                                  
   %ls:unspace(Spaces='X ') = soXmeXchars                                                       
   %ls:unspace(leading=false) =  so me chars                                                    
   %ls:unspace(trailing=false) = so me chars                                                    
   %ls:unspace(compress=false) = so  me     chars

See also

List of intrinsic String methods