Pitch: Add a function String to mimic BASIC's Mid$()

Evolution Pitches
1

BASIC has 3 string functions to return a substring: Left$, Mid$ and Right$. Swift has Prefix() and Suffix() which are equivalent to Left$ and Right$ . String is missing an equivalent function to Mid$.

Example:

Extension String {

func infix(from position: Int, maxLength: Int = Int.max) -> Substring {

    let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: numericCast(position), limitedBy: endIndex) ?? endIndex

    let end = index(start, offsetBy: numericCast(maxLength), limitedBy: endIndex) ?? endIndex

      return self[start..<end]

}

}

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2

s.dropFirst(position).prefix(maxLen)

3

Can we please keep the forum free of this corporate spam?

2 Likes
4

Sorry for the corporate message I didn't know my company added that to my email.

5

There are many ways to get the Mid string but there should be a single method where it can be optimised as well. One of Swifts goals is to make it easy for new developers to find what they need. Every developer I know would look 'Mid' or some method that's spelled the same as Prefix and Suffix i.e. the 'fix' names.

6

Besides Mid do you have a name suggestion? These days the preferred way is using slices (index range subscripts). They reduce API surface area and support both extracting, removing and replacing a substring with a single consistent method.

In some situations, a function might be more readable. I think the only chance this pitch has of gaining acceptance is providing a compelling function name and example use case that show a clear readability advantage over range indexing.

7

I would keep the method name in the same vain as the two other String APIs: String.prefix() and String.suffix(). Therefor I would use String.infix() which means “a formative element inserted in a word”.

Current String APIs

    func prefix(_ maxLength: Int) -> Substring

func prefix(while predicate: (Character) throws -> Bool) rethrows -> Substring

func suffix(_ maxLength: Int) -> Substring

I propose adding the following APIs to String

func infix(from position: Int, maxLength: Int = Int.max) -> Substring

func infix(from position: Int, while predicate: (Element) throws -> Bool) rethrows -> Substring

Example implementation

/// Companion function to String.prefix() and String.suffix(). It is similar to

/// Basic's Mid() fuction.

///

/// Returns a subsequence, starting from position up to the specified

/// maximum length, containing the middle elements of the collection.

///

/// If the maximum length exceeds the remaing number of elements in the

/// collection, the result contains all the remaining elements in the collection.

///

///     let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

///     print(numbers.infix(from: 2, maxLength: 2))

///     // Prints "[3, 4]"

///     print(numbers.prefix(from: 2, maxLength: 10))

///     // Prints "[3, 4, 5]"

///     print(numbers.prefix(from: 10, maxLength: 2))

///     // Prints ""

///     print(numbers.infix(from: 0))

///     // Prints "[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]"

///     print(numbers.infix(from: 2))

///     // Prints "[3, 4, 5]"

///     print(numbers.infix(from: 10))

///     // Prints ""

///

/// - Parameters:

///   - position: The starting index in the collection. `position` must be

///     greater than or equal to zero.

///   - maxLength: The maximum number of elements to return. `maxLength`

///     must be greater than or equal to zero. The default for `maxLength`

///     is set so the remaining elements of the collection will be returned.

/// - Returns: A subsequence starting from `position` up to `maxLength`

///   elements in the collection.

func infix(from position: Int, maxLength: Int = Int.max) -> Substring {

    // if 'position' is beyond the end then set 'start' to 'endIndex'

    let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: numericCast(position), limitedBy: endIndex) ?? endIndex

    // if 'start' + 'maxLength' is beyond the end then set end to 'endIndex'

    let end = index(start, offsetBy: numericCast(maxLength), limitedBy: endIndex) ?? endIndex

    return self[start..<end]

}

/// Returns a subsequence, starting from position and containing the elements

/// until `predicate` returns `false` and skipping the remaining elements.

///

/// - Parameters:

///   - position: The starting index in the collection. `position` must be

///     greater than or equal to zero.

///   - predicate: A closure that takes an element of the sequence as its

///     argument and returns `true` if the element should be included or

///     `false` if it should be excluded. Once the predicate

///   returns `false` it will not be called again.

///

/// - Complexity: O(*n*), where *n* is the length of the collection.

func infix(from position: Int, while predicate: (Element) throws -> Bool) rethrows -> Substring {

    // if 'position' is beyond the end then set 'start' to 'endIndex'

    let start = index(startIndex, offsetBy: numericCast(position), limitedBy: endIndex) ?? endIndex

    var end = start

    while try end != endIndex && predicate(self[end]) {

        formIndex(after: &end)

    }

    return self[start..<end]

}
8

Well these should be:

func infix(from index: (Sub)String.Index, maxLength: Int = Int.max) -> Substring

func infix(from index: (Sub)String.Index, while predicate: (Element) throws -> Bool) rethrows -> Substring
9

Not exactly the same, but a very similar proposal

1 Like