That does make string searching less attractive, neh? I'd never thought of that - thanks for the info!
> -----Original Message----- > From: Atrix Wolfe [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 4:53 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list witango-talk > Subject: Re: Witango-Talk: RE: Array to String > > > if you are searching for a value in an array...converting to > a string and then searching for that string may have a few > properties you might not want... > > first of all, converting the array to a string does take some > extra time to process. > > Secondly there is a difference in how a computer checks for > something in an array as opposed to how it checks for > something in a string. Hashing algorithms (etc) aside...if a > computer checks for a word in an array...it goes to each > point in the array and says "is this it?" and depending on > yes or no it goes onto the next element in the array... > > if you have the array: > apples > bananas > oranges > > and search for oranges, it does 3 string tests...tests > apples, tests bananas, tests oranges. > > if you make this into a string and get: > applesbananasoranges and search for oranges, it starts at the > first a and tests if starting there, it contains the word > "oranges" it doesnt so it moves down a letter to the p, then > the next p, then the l, then the e and so on until it gets to > the o and returns success...this in effect is 13 string > compares...compare 3 to 13 and remember this is only a 3 > element array, imagine if it were 50! Even if it seems more > cumbersome to test row by row, it is in fact more efficient. > > Lasty theres a problem of false positives, they are unlikely > but very possible. > > if you have the array: > oranges > apples > bananas > sap > > and make it into the string: > orangesapplesbananassap > > and search for "sap" you will notice in the string there are > 2 occurences (end of oranges running into the begining of > apples) while in the array there is only 1. Gotta be careful > with that one, but it can be solved by seperating the words > with spaces when you make the array by changing csuffix to ' > ' (space). > > > hope this helps some (: > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Shelley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Multiple recipients of list witango-talk" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 2:29 PM > Subject: RE: Witango-Talk: RE: Array to String > > > > To convert an array to a string you can use the <@var> tag. <@var > > yourArray aprefix='' asuffix='' rprefix='' rsuffix='' cprefix='' > > csuffix=''> This will append all the values together in one string. > > > > To check if a value is in the array use > > <@if expr="@@yourArray contains @@yourString"> > > The contains operator acting on an array does an = on each > element in > > the array, so if any element in the array matches your > string exactly > > then the expression is true. > > > > Dave Shelley > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Wilcox, Jamileh > > Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 4:44 PM > > To: Multiple recipients of list witango-talk > > Subject: Witango-Talk: RE: Array to String > > > > > > Or, alternatively, is there a way to see if something is in > an array, > > without having to loop through the rows? > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Wilcox, Jamileh > > > Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 3:41 PM > > > To: 'Witango-Talk' > > > Subject: Array to String > > > > > > Is there anything in Witango that acts like the Javascript JOIN > > > method (i.e., just converts an array to a delimited string)? It > > > sure would make life easier sometimes. > > > > > > Thanks. j > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > __ > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > __ > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > > ______________________________________________________________ > __________ > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > ________________________________________________________________________ TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body
