Problem with Left, Right, substring functions and quotes

[banactp]

I've tried the following in a Server routine intended for use in a PX sequence:

Code: Select all

S = '"ABCD"'  ; * That's '-"-ABCD-"-'

T = S[Len(S)-1] ; * T = ABCD" at this point

U = T[1,Len(T)-1] ; * U should = ABCD
V = T[1,Len(T)]   ; * V should = ABCD"

Now when I run this code, string V = ABCD" as expected, but string U = AB. Not only is the trailing double quote trimmed from U, but also the C and D. The same behavior is presented when Left() and Right() syntax is used.

(Note that the correct result can be obtained in this case by simply setting U = S[2,Len(S)-2] but keep in mind that's just a solution to this specific instance of a more general problem - how to manipulate strings with quotes in and around them.)

Has anyone encountered this problem with quotes in strings before? If so, how did you work around it?

TIA

tpb

[ArndW]

banatcp,

I cut and pasted your code into a function and, lo and behold, the value of U is, as expected, ABCD.

I don't know where your problem is coming from, but your code as posted will produce the expected results.

What does
X= '"Hello World"'
PRINT X[1,LEN(X)-1] print out on your machine?

[Eric]

I agree with ArndW. These are the values from my routine:

S>"ABCD"
T>ABCD"
U>ABCD
V>ABCD"

[banactp]

Well, it looks like this one will remain a mystery

The problem must have been specific to the particular function I was testing the code snippet in, because this morning I cut and pasted my own code into a different routine and ... no problem.

Unfortunately, I no longer have the piece of code that I originally used for testing, so I can no longer reproduce the behavior. I guess that's not all that bad...

Thanks,

tpb