String comparison

Massacre · Post by **Massacre** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 5:39 pm

I just don't get it. I've spent the best part of 2 hours fiddling with this and I just can't see why it's not working. If I join our clan channel, #[ms], the following, which is in a proc that's bound to 'join' (and i know it works), results in false

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if {[string match -nocase $channel "#\[ms\]"]} {

or, from my debugging:

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putquick "PRIVMSG $channel :$channel [string match -nocase $channel "#\[ms\]"]"

gives the output: #[ms] 0

If i replace #[ms] with our private channel then join the private channel, the if results in true, but otherwise, it just doesn't work. It's not in any other if's, it's just there and it isn't working :S can anyone see something i'm doing wrong? i'd be very greatful!

Massacre · Post by **Massacre** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 5:40 pm

i've tried it with other channels there too, but it only failes on #[ms] :/

stdragon · Post by **stdragon** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 6:16 pm

I believe [ ] has special meaning when used as a mask in string match. It means basically "any of the enclosed chars." Solution: use [string compare] instead.

% string match {[abc]} "a"
1
% string match {[abc]} "b"
1
% string match {[abc]} "e"
0
% string compare {[abc]} "a"
-1
% string compare {[abc]} {[abc]}
0 <-- correct

Massacre · Post by **Massacre** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 6:21 pm

Doesn't escaping (eg, '\[') get round that? And if not, do you or anyone else know how i can get round it?

stdragon · Post by **stdragon** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 6:37 pm

Escaping [ ] would get around it, but you didn't escape it (in the mask).

Using string compare like I said will get around it just fine.

Massacre · Post by **Massacre** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 3:19 am

Isn't "#\[ms\]" excaping the []?

Post by **caesar** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 3:28 am

Evidently that will not. I did a test: .tcl putlog "#\[ms\]" and got as result: #[ms] Test yourself.. Oh and also it works if you use only one \ like: #\[ms]

Massacre · Post by **Massacre** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 3:45 am

:s well i just tried:

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if {[string match -nocase $channel "#\[ms\]"]} {
putquick "PRIVMSG $channel :Test(1)"
}
if {[string match -nocase $channel "#\[ms]"]} {
putquick "PRIVMSG $channel :Test(2)"
}

and neither appeared in the channel. :/ The compare thing works though. Thnx for ur time guys.

stdragon · Post by **stdragon** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 3:47 am

Ok... the mask is $channel

The text is "#\[ms\]"

See, you escaped the [ ] in the text, but not the mask.

Solution: use "string compare" instead of "string match" (look it up in the man page) because it doesn't use a mask, and hence doesn't need to be escaped.

ppslim · Post by **ppslim** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 4:38 pm

Read the Tcl man pages for the usage of the "string match" command.

it uses the format

string match [-nocase] <mask> <string>

The mask is the first item, not the second. Thus, because $channel isn't escaped, and is being passed as the mask potion, it is failing.

Post by **user** » Mon Apr 07, 2003 2:47 pm

the best way to determine if two strings are equal is...drumroll... 'string equal' ..it even has a -nocase option