@Words Incorrect?

[Fross]

Hello everyone,

I seem to be having issues with @Words not returning correctly if the item is quoted. Am I using @Words incorrectly or is there an issue with it? This is obvious enough that I would have assume someone else would have come across it. I did find a post from last year where Vince had some concerns with @Words working correctly.

TCC  22.00.39 x64   Windows 10 [Version 10.0.16299]
TCC Build 39   Windows 10 Build 16299

D:\Users\Michael>echo %@Words[abc]
1

D:\Users\Michael>echo %@Words[abc xyz]
2

D:\Users\Michael>echo %@Words["abc"]
0

D:\Users\Michael>echo %@Words["abc xyz"]
1

The same seems to occur with @Fields. It seems as if the first abc is getting dropped if there are quotes.

Thanks for your help.

Michael

 

[vefatica]

I see something slightly different with the 32-bit version. It still doesn't look quite right.

v:\> ver

TCC  22.00.39   Windows 7 [Version 6.1.7601]

v:\> echo %@words[abc]
1

v:\> echo %@words[abc xyz]
2

v:\> echo %@words["abc"]
1

v:\> echo %@words["abc xyz"]
0

And I see oddities like this also.

v:\> echo %@words["abc xyz"]
0

v:\> echo %@words["ab xyz"]
1

 

[vefatica]

It seems rather random.

v:\> unset test & do char in /c abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (set test=%[test]%char & echo  %test^t%@words["%test"] )
 a      1
 ab     1
 abc    0
 abcd   0
 abcde  1
 abcdef 0
 abcdefg        0
 abcdefgh       0
 abcdefghi      0
 abcdefghij     0
 abcdefghijk    0
 abcdefghijkl   0
 abcdefghijklm  1
 abcdefghijklmn 0
 abcdefghijklmno        0
 abcdefghijklmnop       0
 abcdefghijklmnopq      0
 abcdefghijklmnopqr     0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrs    0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrst   0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstu  1
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv 1
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw        0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx       1
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy      0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz     0

 

[vefatica]

@FIELDS is equally interesting.

v:\> unset test & do char in /c abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (set test=%[test]%char & echo  %test^t%@field
s["%test"] )
 a      1
 ab     1
 abc    0
 abcd   0
 abcde  1
 abcdef 3
 abcdefg        3
 abcdefgh       3
 abcdefghi      3
 abcdefghij     0
 abcdefghijk    0
 abcdefghijkl   0
 abcdefghijklm  1
 abcdefghijklmn 3
 abcdefghijklmno        0
 abcdefghijklmnop       0
 abcdefghijklmnopq      2
 abcdefghijklmnopqr     2
 abcdefghijklmnopqrs    0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrst   0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstu  1
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv 4
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw        6
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx       0
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy      3
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz     0

 

[vefatica]

I suppose $WORDS and @FIELDS are interpreting their first parameter as a list of separators (because it's quoted, as documented). In that case, I don't know where it's getting a second paramater. Perhaps an error message is in order when the first parameter is interpreted an a separator list and the comma after it is missing. Fix it all by specifying a separator lists.

v:\> unset test & do char in /c abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (set test=%[test]%char & echo  %test^t%@words[" ","%test"] )
a      1
ab     1
abc    1
abcd   1
abcde  1
abcdef 1
abcdefg        1
abcdefgh       1
abcdefghi      1
abcdefghij     1
abcdefghijk    1
abcdefghijkl   1
abcdefghijklm  1
abcdefghijklmn 1
abcdefghijklmno        1
abcdefghijklmnop       1
abcdefghijklmnopq      1
abcdefghijklmnopqr     1
abcdefghijklmnopqrs    1
abcdefghijklmnopqrst   1
abcdefghijklmnopqrstu  1
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv 1
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw        1
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx       1
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy      1
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz     1

Or, as in the original example,

v:\> echo %@words[abc]
1

v:\> echo %@words[abc xyz]
2

v:\> echo %@words[" ","abc"]
1

v:\> echo %@words[" ","abc xyz"]
1

 

[Fross]

Thanks Vince. Specifying the separator did solve my problem. But it is odd since the separator is optional and quoted strings are not uncommon.

Michael

 

[rconn]

WAD. If the first argument to @WORDS begins with a double quote, it is assumed to be a separator list. If you want to pass a double quoted argument to @WORDS, you need to provide two arguments, one for the separator and one for the double quote.

But I can't imagine why you would want to pass a double quoted argument, since that would always return "1".

 

[vefatica]

Thanks Vince. Specifying the separator did solve my problem. But it is odd since the separator is optional and quoted strings are not uncommon.

Michael

I agree, but as it is, apparently, if the first parameter is quoted, It's taken as a parameter list.

 

[Fross]

Thanks Rex. I'm using it in a batch file that deals with directory names. Some have quotes and was throwing it off.

 

[AnrDaemon]

That smells of http://xyproblem.info/
You should fix the way you obtain names to not contain unnecessary characters, or use @UNQUOTES[]

 

[Fross]

That smells of http://xyproblem.info/
You should fix the way you obtain names to not contain unnecessary characters, or use @UNQUOTES[]

I don't believe this is an xy problem and I believe it does not work intuititively, but I'm happy knowing how to solve it.

Not quoting them can be a challenge. I'm using this as part of my GetOpt script which often takes filenames and directory names as parameters. If you tab complete a directory or file, it's quoted by TCC if needed. Editing the command line is inconvenient and if I use Unquote[] I could get in trouble with directory names that have commas, square brackets, etc in them.

I think Vince had the best answer and that is to just force the optional first parameter.

Michael

PS: If you are curious, here is a link to my GetOpt.btm command line processor.

 

[vefatica]

A quoted string has only one word. What good is using @WORDS on one without unquoting it?

 

[Fross]

Hi Vince,

I use the following code to tell me how many command line options I have to loop through:

set getopt_TotalArgs=%@Words[" ",%*]

For example, if I run the btm with several Tab Completed files and directories:

C:\>getopt.btm Apps\ BOOTNXT "Documents and Settings"\ "Program Files"

--- GetOpt Debug Mode Activated ------------------------------------------------

Working with command line:
  Apps\ BOOTNXT "Documents and Settings"\ "Program Files"

GetOpt is processing 4 arguments:

<the rest of the output has been culled>

 

[vefatica]

OK, I get it. I thought I was missing something.

 

[AnrDaemon]

@UNQUOTES, not @UNQUOTE !
These are two different functions with greatly different results!

And avoid %* like plague. It is subject to DuplicateBugs=Yes. Use %$ instead.

 

[AnrDaemon]

set getopt_TotalArgs=%@Words[" ",%*]

echo %#

 

[David Marcus]

How does DuplicateBugs affect %* ?

 

[Charles Dye]

I prefer %*. %$ treats equals signs as separators -- replaces them with a space, or strips 'em out altogether. I don't thank this behavior is subject to //DuplicateBugs, though.

 

[AnrDaemon]

Equal signs ARE separators in CMD and you MUST escape or quote them if you want to pass them around.

 

[AnrDaemon]

How does DuplicateBugs affect %* ?

Sorry, I was wrong, it does not affect "%*", it's just %* always return full original parameter string regardless of shifting.