trouble with LEFT function

My results after doing some stuff are going to have names separated by
commas. Example:

James & Beth Williams John & Mary Smith Ross & Rachel Gellar Willy & Wanda
Wonka


But the number of names is variable, so I put in commas between each one.
Then I end up with:

, James & Beth Williams, John & Mary Smith, Ross & Rachel Gellar, Willy &
Wanda Wonka

This is almost what I need, except that first comma. To get rid of it, I
tried doing a replace of the first character on the left, like this:

strFullName = Replace(strFullName,Left(strFullName,1),"")

However, this is yielding weird results.

What am I doing wrong in my replace function?

Re: trouble with LEFT function

you could use the mid function

Mid(string, start[, length])

strFullName = Mid( strFullName , 2 )

Re: trouble with LEFT function

I am not familiar with Mid.

At any rate, I got this error when I tried it:

Microsoft VBScript compilation (0x800A03EE)
Expected ')'
/dev/groupevents.asp, line 59, column 17
Mid(string, start[, length])

Re: trouble with LEFT function

"Middletree" wrote in message
news:OPFnaKpTIHA.5288@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> I am not familiar with Mid.
>
> At any rate, I got this error when I tried it:
>
> Microsoft VBScript compilation (0x800A03EE)
> Expected ')'
> /dev/groupevents.asp, line 59, column 17
> Mid(string, start[, length])
>

Consider reading the manual:-

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/sx7b3k7y(VS.85).asp x

Mid(string, start[, length])

--
Anthony Jones - MVP ASP/ASP.NET

Re: trouble with LEFT function

Middletree wrote on 04 jan 2008 in
microsoft.public.inetserver.asp.general:

> My results after doing some stuff are going to have names separated by
> commas. Example:
>
> James & Beth Williams John & Mary Smith Ross & Rachel Gellar Willy &
> Wanda Wonka
>
>
> But the number of names is variable, so I put in commas between each
> one. Then I end up with:
>
> , James & Beth Williams, John & Mary Smith, Ross & Rachel Gellar,
> Willy & Wanda Wonka
>
> This is almost what I need, except that first comma. To get rid of it,
> I tried doing a replace of the first character on the left, like this:
>
> strFullName = Replace(strFullName,Left(strFullName,1),"")
>
> However, this is yielding weird results.
>
> What am I doing wrong in my replace function?

I suppose you assume VBscript, which is not the only ASP language.

Try:

Dim t
t = ", James & Beth Williams, John & Mary Smith, Ross & Rachel Gellar"
t = Replace(t,", ","",1,1)

Explanation:
replacing the comma+space: ", "
with an empty string: ""
starting at the first letter: 1
and only once: 1

===============

Or using mid():

Dim t
t = ", James & Beth Williams, John & Mary Smith, Ross & Rachel Gellar"
t = mid(t,3)

Explanation:
new string t starts at the 3rd letter of the old one

===============

using ASP-j[ava]script is also a good option
making one line regex possible:

var t;
t = ', James & Beth Williams, John & Mary Smith, Ross & Rachel Gellar';
t = t.replace(/^, /,'');

Explanation:
replace
from the start: ^
the comma+space: ", "
non global: so only once
with an empty string ''

===============

I would urge you to read the specs on functions you use and not assume
them.

Download script56.chm:


--
Evertjan.
The Netherlands.
(Please change the x'es to dots in my emailaddress)

Re: trouble with LEFT function

> Dim t
> t = ", James & Beth Williams, John & Mary Smith, Ross & Rachel Gellar"
> t = Replace(t,", ","",1,1)
>

This did the trick. I had no idea Replace function allowed a starting ans
stopping point. Thanks very much.