# String methods You can find more info about the particular regex syntax used in the `*_regex` methods on [this link](https://docs.rs/regex/1.3.4/regex/#syntax). ### .to\_uppercase() Return the same string in all uppercase characters. ```cpp string.to_uppercase() => String // example do val = "Where is Brian?" do val.to_uppercase() // "WHERE IS BRIAN?" ``` ### .to\_lowercase() Return the same string in all lowercase characters. ```cpp string.to_lowercase() => String // example do val = "Where is Brian?" do val.to_lowercase() // "where is brian?" ``` ### .capitalize() Return the same string with the first letter in uppercase. The rest of the string remains unchanged. ```cpp string.capitalize() => String // example do val = "my name is John" do val.capitalize() // "My name is John" ``` ### .trim(), .trim\_left(), .trim\_right() Returns a new string with both leading and trailing whitespace removed. `.trim_left()` and `.trim_right()` only trim the leading and trainling whitespace respectively. ```cpp do text = " Where is Brian? " do new_text = text.trim() say new_text // "Where is Brian?" do new_text = text.trim_left() say new_text // "Where is Brian? " do new_text = text.trim_right() say new_text // " Where is Brian?" ``` ### .length() Return the length of the target string. ```cpp string.length() => Integer // example do val = "Where is Brian?" do val.length() // 15 ``` ### .contains(String), .contains\_regex(String) Return whether the string contains another string or expression. ```cpp haystack.contains(needle) => Boolean haystack.contains_regex(needle) => Boolean // example do val = "Where is Brian?" // does it contain any "r"? do val.contains("r") // true // does it contain the word "where"? do val.contains("where") // false => no, because it is case sensitive // does it contain any number? do val.contains_regex("[0-9]") // true ``` ### .replace(), .replace\_all(), .replace\_regex() Replace the first, all or any occurrence matching the predicate: ```cpp say "toto".replace("o", "a") // "tato" the first o char is replaced say "toto".replace_all("o", "a") // "tata" all o chars are replaced say "toto".replace_regex("[to]", "a") // "aaaa" all chars that are t or o are replaced ``` ### .starts\_with(String), .starts\_with\_regex(String) Return whether a string starts with another string or expression. ```cpp haystack.starts_with(needle) => Boolean haystack.starts_with_regex(needle) => Boolean // example do val = "Where is Brian?" // does it start with "r"? do val.starts_with("r") // false // does it start with any uppercase letter? do val.starts_with_regex("[A-Z]") // true ``` ### .ends\_with(String), .ends\_with\_regex(String) Return whether a string ends with another string or expression. ```cpp haystack.ends_with(needle) => Boolean haystack.ends_with_regex(needle) => Boolean // example do val = "Where is Brian?" // does it end with "r"? do val.ends_with("r") // false // does it end with any uppercase letter? do val.ends_with_regex("[A-Z]") // false ``` ### .match(String), .match\_regex(String) Return all the matches of the string or expression in the target string, or Null if none are found. ```cpp haystack.match(needle) => Array[String] haystack.match_regex(needle) => Array[String] // example do val = "Where is Brian?" // does it match with "r"? do val.match("r") // ["r", "r"] => yes, twice! // does it match with any uppercase letter? do val.match_regex("[A-Z]") // ["W", "B"] => yes, and these are the letters! ``` {% hint style="info" %} **About \_regex methods:** The `\` (backslash) character has a special meaning. For technical reasons, in all strings, it must be properly escaped, by convention by adding another `\` in front of itself, to avoid being interpreted as a special character. For example, if you mean to write the exact string `"\n"` you must in fact write `\\n`, otherwise `\n` will be interpreted as a line break. This Python documentation explains why it especially matters in Regex syntax to escape backslashes: We follow this nomenclature for CSML Regex handling, so a single Regex backslash must be written as a `"\\"` string, and an escaped backslash (that behaves as a literal `"\"` string character) must in fact be escaped twice, once for being in a string, and once for being in a Regex: you have to write `"\\\\"` to result in the Regex syntax `\\`which in turn matches the literal `"\"` string. In a future release of CSML we might introduce a "raw string" method to bypass this limitation. {% endhint %} ### .is\_number(), .is\_int(), .is\_float() Return whether the given string represents a numerical value, an int, a float. ```cpp string.is_number() => Boolean // example do val = "Where is Brian?" do val.is_number() // false do val = "42" do val.is_number() // true do val.is_int() // true do val.is_float() // false ``` ### .split(String) Split a string by a given separator and return an array containing all elements in order. The separator can be a single or multiple characters. If the separator can not be found in the string, the returned array will only contain the original string. ```cpp string.split(String) => Array[String] // example do val = "this is a long string" do val.split(" ") // ["this", "is", "a", "long", "string"] do val.split("is") // ["th", " ", " a long string"] do val.split("camembert") // ["this is a long string"] ``` ### .slice(start, end) => String Cut a string between the `start` and `end` characters. Some rules apply: * If `end` is not specified, all the characters after `start` are returned. * When specified, `end` must be ≥ `start`. * If any of the parameters is < 0, the count is made from the end of the string. ```cpp say "abcdefghijklmnop".slice(2, 4) // "cd" say "abcdefghijklmnop".slice(7) // "hijklmnop" say "abcdefghijklmnop".slice(-4) // "mnop" say "abcdefghijklmnop".slice(-4, 14) // "mn" say "abcdefghijklmnop".slice(-4, 3) // Error say "abcdefghijklmnop".slice(2, 1) // Error ``` ### .to\_int(), .to\_float() => Integer, Float Convert a string representing a number to a value cast as an integer or float: ```cpp do val = "1.2345".to_int() // 1 do val = "1.2345".to_float() // 1.2345 do val = "not a number".to_int() // error ``` ### .to\_yml(), .to\_json() Convert yaml to json and back ```cpp do json = "some:\n yaml: 1".to_json() say "{{json}}" // {"some":{"yaml":1}} do yml = json.to_yaml() say "{{yml}}" // some:\n yaml: 1 ``` ### .encode\_uri(), .encode\_uri\_component(), .decode\_uri(), .decode\_uri\_component() Encode and decode URI/URIComponent (see ) ```cpp say "https://mozilla.org/?x=шеллы".encode_uri() say "https://mozilla.org/?x=шеллы".encode_uri_component() say "https://mozilla.org/?x=%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%8B".decode_uri() say "https%3A%2F%2Fmozilla.org%2F%3Fx%3D%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%8B".decode_uri_component() ``` ### .encode\_html\_entities(), .decode\_html\_entities() Encode and decode [HTML entities](https://dev.w3.org/html5/html-author/charref) ```cpp debug "42 < 100".encode_html_entities() debug "42 < 100".decode_html_entities() ```