repeating string

[Devin Asay]

On Feb 10, 2014, at 5:15 PM, Alex Tweedly <alex at tweedly.net>
 wrote:

> On 10/02/2014 17:51, Devin Asay wrote:
>> Seems like the most LiveCode-like syntax would be something like:
>> 
>> pad <container> with <string> at beginning|end|<chunk description> [for] N [times]
>> 
>> So,
>> 
>> pad myvar with space at beginning 4 times
>> 
>> pad fld "foo" with 0 at end 10 times
>> 
>> pad "hello" with "xyz" after char 3 for 2 times --> helxyzxyzlo
>> 
>> 
> While I like the general idea, I don't think that's the *most* LC-like syntax.
> I don't see any need to invent a new verb "pad"; why not simply something like
> 
> put <value> [for N times] <chunk description>
> or
> put [N copies of] <value> <chunk description>
> 
> Thus
>   put "hello" into myVar
>   put "xyz" for 2 times after char 3 of myVar    --> helxyzxyzlo
> or perhaps
>   put 2 copies of "xyz" after char 3 of myVar
> 
> Or indeed
>   put "abc" & 4 copies of " " & "def" into newVar
> to give a value of "abc    def"


I like your suggestion, Alex. It makes sense to simply add capability to an existing command. I wonder whether the open language model will make it easy to support syntax enhancements like this?

Devin

Devin Asay
Office of Digital Humanities
Brigham Young University