collapse($string)

Note: "crunch()" is an alias to this function. It is considered deprecated. It may be removed in future versions.

  $var = collapse("  Hello     world!    "); # "Hello world!"

hascontent($scalar), nocontent($scalar)

An undefined value returns false. An empty string returns false. A value containing nothing but whitespace (spaces, tabs, carriage returns, newlines, backspace) returns false. A string containing any other characters (including zero) returns true.

"nocontent()" returns the negation of "hascontent()".

  $var = hascontent("");  # False
  $var = hascontent(" "); # False
  $var = hascontent("a"); # True

  $var = nocontent("");   # True
  $var = nocontent("a");  # False

trim($string), ltrim($string), rtrim($string)

  $var = trim(" my string  "); # "my string"

ltrim() trims leading whitespace only.

rtrim() trims trailing whitespace only.

nospace($string)

  $var = nospace("  Hello World!   "); # "HelloWorld!"

htmlesc($string)

htmlesc() is very similar to CGI.pm's escapeHTML. However, there are a few differences. htmlesc() changes an undefined value to an empty string, whereas escapeHTML() returns undefs as undefs.

jsquote($string)

unquote($string)

  unquote(q|'Hendrix'|);   # Hendrix
  unquote(q|"Hendrix"|);   # Hendrix
  unquote(q|Hendrix|);     # Hendrix
  unquote(q|"Hendrix'|);   # "Hendrix'
  unquote(q|O'Sullivan|);  # O'Sullivan

option: braces

If the braces option is true, surrounding braces such as [] and {} are also removed. Some examples:

  unquote(q|[Janis]|, braces=>1);  # Janis
  unquote(q|{Janis}|, braces=>1);  # Janis
  unquote(q|(Janis)|, braces=>1);  # Janis

repeat($string, $count)

  print repeat('Fred', 3), "\n";

Note that repeat() was created a long time based on a misunderstanding of how the perl operator 'x' works. The following command using 'x' would perform exactly the same as the above command.

  print 'Fred' x 3, "\n";

Use whichever you prefer.

randword($length, %options)

  foreach my $idx (1..3) {
      print randword(4), "\n";
  }

would output something like this:

  kBGV
  NCWB
  3tHJ

If the string 'dictionary' is sent instead of an integer, then a word is randomly selected from a dictionary file. By default, the dictionary file is assumed to be at /usr/share/dict/words and the shuf command is used to pull out a word. The hash %String::Util::PATHS sets the paths to the dictionary file and the shuf executable. Modify that hash to change the paths. So this code:

  foreach my $idx (1..3) {
      print randword('dictionary'), "\n";
  }

would output something like this:

  mustache
  fronds
  browning

option: alpha

If the alpha option is true, only alphabetic characters are returned, no numerals. For example, this code:

  foreach my $idx (1..3) {
      print randword(4, alpha=>1), "\n";
  }

would output something like this:

  qrML
  wmWf
  QGvF

option: numerals

If the numerals option is true, only numerals are returned, no alphabetic characters. So this code:

  foreach my $idx (1..3) {
      print randword(4, numerals=>1), "\n";
  }

would output something like this:

  3981
  4734
  2657

option: strip_vowels

This option is true by default. If true, vowels are not included in the returned random string. So this code:

  foreach my $idx (1..3) {
      print randword(4, strip_vowels=>1), "\n";
  }

would output something like this:

  Sk3v
  pV5z
  XhSX

eqq($scalar1, $scalar2)

  $var = eqq('x', 'x');     # True
  $var = eqq('x', undef);   # False
  $var = eqq(undef, undef); # True

Note: equndef() is an alias to this function. It is considered deprecated. It may be removed in future versions.

neqq($scalar1, $scalar2)

  $var = neqq('x', 'x');     # False
  $var = neqq('x', undef);   # True
  $var = neqq(undef, undef); # False

Note: neundef() is an alias to this function. It is considered deprecated. It may be removed in future versions.

ords($string)

  $var = ords('Hendrix'); # {72}{101}{110}{100}{114}{105}{120}

options

• convert_spaces=>[true|false]

  If convert_spaces is true (which is the default) then spaces are converted to their matching ord values. So, for example, this code:

    $var = ords('a b', convert_spaces=>1); # {97}{32}{98}
      

  This code returns the same thing:

    $var = ords('a b');                    # {97}{32}{98}
      

  If convert_spaces is false, then spaces are just returned as spaces. So this code:

    ords('a b', convert_spaces=>0);        # {97} {98}
      

• alpha_nums

  If the alpha_nums option is false, then characters 0-9, a-z, and A-Z are not converted. For example, this code:

    $var = ords('a=b', alpha_nums=>0); # a{61}b
      

deords($string)

  $var = deords('{72}{101}{110}{100}{114}{105}{120}'); # 'Hendrix'

contains($string, $substring)

  $var = contains("Hello world", "Hello");   # true
  $var = contains("Hello world", "llo wor"); # true
  $var = contains("Hello world", "QQQ");     # false

  # Also works with grep
  @arr = grep { contains("cat") } @input;

startswith($string, $substring)

  $var = startwith("Hello world", "Hello"); # true
  $var = startwith("Hello world", "H");     # true
  $var = startwith("Hello world", "Q");     # false

  # Also works with grep
  @arr = grep { startswith("X") } @input;

endswith($string, $substring)

  $var = endswith("Hello world", "world");   # true
  $var = endswith("Hello world", "d");       # true
  $var = endswith("Hello world", "QQQ");     # false

  # Also works with grep
  @arr = grep { endswith("z") } @input;

crunchlines($string)

  $var = crunchlines("x\n\n\nx"); # "x\nx";

sanitize($string, $separator = "_")

Note: This will remove any trailing or leading '_' on the string

  $var = sanitize("http://www.google.com/") # http_www_google_com
  $var = sanitize("foo_bar()";              # foo_bar
  $var = sanitize("/path/to/file.txt");     # path_to_file_txt
  $var = sanitize("Big yellow bird!", "."); # Big.yellow.bird

file_get_contents($string, $boolean)

  $str   = file_get_contents("/tmp/file.txt");    # Return a string
  @lines = file_get_contents("/tmp/file.txt", 1); # Return an array