C#•2y ago

✅ What is better, in this case, Replace() or Substring()

In Unity it seems that text input comes with a 'Zero Width Space Character' at the end, and that messes with the following logic since a word with 5 characters has 6 characters and this ZWS character ain't accepted everywhere. Both of this solutions work fine to remove the character, but I am here asking if there is good reasons to use one or another? or even other way maybe even in unity settings to avoid that behavior.

string zeroWidthSpace = new(new char[] { (char)8203 });
name = name.Replace(zeroWidthSpace, "");

string zeroWidthSpace = new(new char[] { (char)8203 });
name = name.Replace(zeroWidthSpace, "");

name = name.Substring(0, name.Length-1);

name = name.Substring(0, name.Length-1);

69 Replies

MODiX•2y ago

Sal#0955

REPL Result: Success

string name = "hello";
name+=(char)8203;
name = name.Substring(0, name.Length-1);
string result = $"{name} has {name.Length} characters";
result

string name = "hello";
name+=(char)8203;
name = name.Substring(0, name.Length-1);
string result = $"{name} has {name.Length} characters";
result

Result: string

hello has 5 characters

hello has 5 characters

Compile: 601.693ms | Execution: 42.546ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

MODiX•2y ago

Sal#0955

REPL Result: Success

string name = "hello";
name+=(char)8203;
string zeroWidthSpace = new(new char[] { (char)8203 });
name = name.Replace(zeroWidthSpace, "");
string result = $"{name} has {name.Length} characters";
result

string name = "hello";
name+=(char)8203;
string zeroWidthSpace = new(new char[] { (char)8203 });
name = name.Replace(zeroWidthSpace, "");
string result = $"{name} has {name.Length} characters";
result

Result: string

hello has 5 characters

hello has 5 characters

Compile: 625.734ms | Execution: 42.323ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

Jimmacle•2y ago

did you check if this character is removed by .Trim()? that's designed to remove leading and trailing whitespace

MODiX•2y ago

Sal#0955

REPL Result: Success

string name = "hello";
name+=(char)8203;
name = name.Trim();
string result = $"{name} has {name.Length} characters";
result

string name = "hello";
name+=(char)8203;
name = name.Trim();
string result = $"{name} has {name.Length} characters";
result

Result: string

hello has 6 characters

hello has 6 characters

Compile: 473.508ms | Execution: 40.504ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

SalOP•2y ago

I didnt know for sure but IsNullOrWhiteSpace() didnt recognise the space when the field was "empty"

ero•2y ago

It's hard to believe strings behave any differently in Unity

SalOP•2y ago

they dont, do they?

ero•2y ago

If they didn't, why would there be a zero width space? This seems like a very big bug, if true

MODiX•2y ago

Sal#0955

REPL Result: Success

string name = "";
name+=(char)8203;
string zeroWidthSpace = new(new char[] { (char)8203 });
string result = $"\"{name}\" has {name.Length} characters";
result

string name = "";
name+=(char)8203;
string zeroWidthSpace = new(new char[] { (char)8203 });
string result = $"\"{name}\" has {name.Length} characters";
result

Result: string

"" has 1 characters

"" has 1 characters

Compile: 578.966ms | Execution: 46.675ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

Jimmacle•2y ago

sounds like more of a potential issue with whatever UI control is being used

SalOP•2y ago

it behaves the same way here

ero•2y ago

Yeah but you're manually adding that to your string. Are you adding a zero width space to your input in unity?

SalOP•2y ago

I would argue you are right but they might have their reasons..

ero•2y ago

I don't think they do, that's a massive flaw

SalOP•2y ago

no I am just simulating here... well I was firstly trying to react if the input box had some value before doing any logic and nothing worked , value is null, value == "", string.IsEmptyOrWhiteSpace(value) until some guys here helped me our and we find the character by parsing the "empty" string to a char

ero•2y ago

What're you using as the UI control for the input? You should report this as a bug

SalOP•2y ago

the default input box

ero•2y ago

https://forum.unity.com/threads/solved-getting-zero-width-space.594439/

Unity Forum

TextMesh Pro - [Solved] Getting 'ZERO WIDTH SPACE'

Getting 'ZERO WIDTH SPACE' character at the end of text from Input field [ATTACH] Is it ok !?

ero•2y ago

Does this have anything to do with it? Also i don't think TMPro is the "default"

SalOP•2y ago

gonna see, but i have no other choice than TMPro

sibber•2y ago

it is in the latest version they removed the old renderer i think either way you cant use it

ero•2y ago

I thought it was like an external library

sibber•2y ago

they aquired it a while ago

SalOP•2y ago

hey, so i tried using the child "Text" game object and it returns the same char

ero•2y ago

The post says not to use the child

SalOP•2y ago

first i was using the (input).text, now i tried the Text.text

SalOP•2y ago

i think those are the only options

ero•2y ago

I don't know. You're not really showing us much

SalOP•2y ago

you dont need much more, what do you want more? this is the whole tree of the input field, and i am telling you when i get the input text on both gameobjects they both have the char attached to the end

[SerializeField] TextMeshProUGUI nameHolder;
public void SaveName()
    {
        //this is the gameObject with the input
        string name = nameHolder.text;
        //here i can see the invisible char
        Debug.Log(name.Length);
        //this was my code before
        //if (name == zeroWidthSpace) 
        // now i am trying with your post link
        //if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name))
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(name))
        {
            name = "Empty";
        }
     }

[SerializeField] TextMeshProUGUI nameHolder;
public void SaveName()
    {
        //this is the gameObject with the input
        string name = nameHolder.text;
        //here i can see the invisible char
        Debug.Log(name.Length);
        //this was my code before
        //if (name == zeroWidthSpace) 
        // now i am trying with your post link
        //if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name))
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(name))
        {
            name = "Empty";
        }
     }

nameHolder was SaveName (Input) at first now I tried Text I think this is absolutely all

ero•2y ago

Can you show what fields exist in the class?

SalOP•2y ago

sorry why? there you go

ero•2y ago

I mean don't, and just use substring What do i care That doesn't look like a TMP_InputField to me

SalOP•2y ago

lol if you don't care why you came try to help. I have no intentions to lie. my question was what would be best choice for handling the behavior now we are getting into strange territory

ero•2y ago

The best choice to handle the behavior is to not have the behavior happen For that, we need the entire context of what you're doing So we can tell what not to do

SalOP•2y ago

i lay out the entire context.....

ero•2y ago

Mhm

SalOP•2y ago

brand new

SalOP•2y ago

maybe its changed since you used it..

ero•2y ago

I have never used Unity

SalOP•2y ago

then I repeat myself but i am just fetching the value from the input field. so why did you complain hat it doesnt look like TMP?

ero•2y ago

the post mentions a TMP_InputField.text. you're clearly not getting the text of a TMP_InputField

SalOP•2y ago

post is from 2018, we are in 2022

sibber•2y ago

2018 is not that old

ero•2y ago

i highly doubt it changed that much, if at all

sibber•2y ago

in unity's case

ero•2y ago

unity aren't really known to innovate

SalOP•2y ago

and i could call my variable WTV then use WTV.text

ero•2y ago

calling it a different thing doesn't give it a different type

SalOP•2y ago

enough so that they are using TMP as their ui solution now.. @Ero you dont use unity why are you fixing with that? the post dont even show the type just the name...

ero•2y ago

[SerializeField] TextMeshProUGUI nameHolder; not a TMP_InputField

SalOP•2y ago

LOL its new... now you have 3 options...

SalOP•2y ago

and so far i figured i have to use the UGUI

ero•2y ago

it's clearly like a base class there's not even any documentation on this tf

SalOP•2y ago

but i can tell you that if i use the non UGUI i cant assign it in the inspector

ero•2y ago

idk man, i think i'd use something called an InputField for something like an input field

sibber•2y ago

TMP_InputField is the input field

ero•2y ago

crazy

SalOP•2y ago

yes it does exist such thing x) and i just tried it works without the char

ero•2y ago

🤯 maybe don't be like that the next time you ask people to spend time out of their day to help you i can also recommend google

ero•2y ago

ero•2y ago

this is literally what i searched to find that post

sibber•2y ago

lol you dont even have to go to the page

SalOP•2y ago

i think you are a bit of an arrogant, thanks for the time, but good will doesnt come with strings atached, this is certainly the best solution, but you dont use the software, and you expect that because a 4y old link says something i got to instantly understand that was the type itself that was wrong, i did a lot of learning (not enought, never enough) and sorry if i didnt realize it at first , and doubted your advice. but i tried to follow along. and you just slap like i didnt help the conversation.

sibber•2y ago

he wasnt being arrogant you couldve tried his suggestion even if you didnt think it would work

SalOP•2y ago

i didnt understand when i understand i did

sibber•2y ago

then say you dont understand nothing wrong with that

ero•2y ago

programming is programming. you don't really need to understand the software to know that a link like that will definitely have valuable information googling well is just part of coding whatever problem you have, at least a dozen people have posted about

SalOP•2y ago

thats all true, thanks guys

Accord•2y ago

Closed!

Gaming

Programming

✅ What is better, in this case, Replace() or Substring()