Re: In search of a better way to trim string length

[theAcolyte]

sub trim_length {

  my($string, $desired_length) = @_;
  
  # edit: swiped idea from Tachyon
  if((length($string)) < $desired_length) { return $string; }

  my @words = split(" ", $string);   
  my $clipped = "";

  foreach(@words) {
     my $temp = $clipped;
     $clipped .= $_;
     if((length($clipped)) > $desired_length) { $clipped = $temp; last
+; }
  }

  if((length($clipped)) == 0) 
      { $clipped = substr($string, 0, $desired_length); }

  $clipped .= "...";
  return $clipped
}

Does the same as your code but with a little less effort. Breaks the string down into words, keeps adding words until it passes your minimum marker, then keeps the previous version. If the first word puts it over the minimum marker, then it goes back to the original $string and clips that.

theAcolyte

[kiat]

Thanks, theAcolyte!

Ran your code. I think you need to add a space here:

     $clipped .= $_; # orginal
     $clipped .= "$_ "; # changed

With your code, when I passed the sub a string such as "this is a very long sentence without spaces in between", it gets transformed to "thisisaverylongsentencewithout" i.e. the original spaces were gone.

cheers

[theAcolyte]

blah ... right you are! See what I get for posting untested code? Then again, I always post untested code ... :P