topic Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array in LabVIEW

How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Flamboyant — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:51:35 GMT

How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

GerdW — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:19:11 GMT

Hi cooldude,

convert both (array and search string) to lowercase before using this function...

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Christian Mergl — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:19:30 GMT

Why are you using Search Array-Functions for strings when there are several Search String-Functions?

And can you please explain it a bit more in detail?

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Broken_Arrow — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:27:41 GMT

Christian_M wrote:
Why are you using Search Array-Functions for strings when there are several Search String-Functions?
And can you please explain it a bit more in detail?

Agreed. For example Match Regular Expression has an input for ignore case.

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

smercurio_fc — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:50:38 GMT

Christian_M wrote:
Why are you using Search Array-Functions for strings when there are several Search String-Functions?

Well, the user did say they have a string array, so....

Of course, they could use the Array to Spreadsheet String so then they could use the string search functions, but that would embed undesired characters in the string since the Array to Spreadsheet String does not accept an empty string as a delimiter.

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Broken_Arrow — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:31:35 GMT

smercurio_fc wrote:
Christian_M wrote:
Why are you using Search Array-Functions for strings when there are several Search String-Functions?

Well, the user did say they have a string array, so....

Of course, they could use the Array to Spreadsheet String so then they could use the string search functions, but that would embed undesired characters in the string since the Array to Spreadsheet String does not accept an empty string as a delimiter.

I assumed the user would throw the function into a for loop. For that matter, you still have to use a for loop with "Search 1D Array" if you want to return all elements found (or use OpenG's Search Array which functions like a "Search Array Until Done").

Message Edited by Broken Arrow on 12-01-2009 09:31 AM

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Broken_Arrow — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:46:55 GMT

In my post above, I should of said while loop where I said for loop. (for loop would work but while loop would be more conventional).

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

altenbach — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:09:04 GMT

smercurio_fc wrote:
Of course, they could use the Array to Spreadsheet String so then they could use the string search functions, but that would embed undesired characters in the string since the Array to Spreadsheet String does not accept an empty string as a delimiter.

Well, a substitute for the nonexistent "delimiter-free array to spreadsheet string" is a simple "concatenate strings" of size=1. Try it!

Still, since strings are variable lenght, we would lose all information on index position, so this method would only partially work for simple questions such as "s there a match". It can also give false positives, e.g. if the search string matched the tail of one string concatenated with the head of the next element.

If all the OP is looking for is a case insensitive match of an entire array element, I would go with Gerd's suggestion above.

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

smercurio_fc — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:16:01 GMT

altenbach wrote:
smercurio_fc wrote:
Of course, they could use the Array to Spreadsheet String so then they could use the string search functions, but that would embed undesired characters in the string since the Array to Spreadsheet String does not accept an empty string as a delimiter.
Well, a substitute for the nonexistent "delimiter-free array to spreadsheet string" is a simple "concatenate strings" of size=1. Try it!

Yeah, I know about this. I was just making a point about the fact that the source is an array, and not a string.

And I was taking a pot-shot at NI over that function.

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

altenbach — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:20:52 GMT

smercurio_fc wrote:
And I was taking a pot-shot at NI over that function.

Me too! 😄

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

SGIE — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 12:17:13 GMT

I know this thread is dead for 9yrs, but I was not satisfied with the answer.

See attached solution using OpenG tools

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

Kevin_Price — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 13:26:46 GMT

Since you revived the thread, I think most users should prefer the earlier approaches over yours. Sorting a string array can be expensive and is generally not needed or even particularly helpful to the goal of string matching.

(This is distinct from the way that maintaining an array in sorted order might be useful to support lots of lookups using a binary search algorithm.)

-Kevin P

Re: How to make the search 1D array function case insensitive for string array

crossrulz — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 13:55:03 GMT

@Kevin_Price wrote:

(This is distinct from the way that maintaining an array in sorted order might be useful to support lots of lookups using a binary search algorithm.)

Variant Attributes does this for you!

As far as the searching in a text array, I have a tendency of using Trim Whitespace followed by a To Upper. I trim the whitespace because I have seen too many users accidentally add in a space or end of line to the input and then complain to me the strings won't match. To Upper or To Lower: you can use either one as long as you are consistent.