editing dynamic string // substring for dynamic xml value

honzojd

Hello, I working on a project when I load a value from online xml table ( it's time, for example 12:45 PM) and I need the value to convert, I'd like to have just 1245. Something like substring but for dynamic value. I need to work with this number afterwards, so it was a whole number without letters or anything. Thanks for all your suggestions!!

GoToLoop

https://Processing.org/reference/splitTokens_.html

honzojd

yee so the value is online on the url, i just know the value is 12:45 pm and I need clear number like 1245. Please help with that.

benja

There are different methods to extact parts of a string. Here are three different approaches:

import java.util.regex.*;
String original = "12:45 PM";

void setup() {
  // pick the substrings directly
  println(original.substring(0, 2) + original.substring(3,5) );

  // split the whole string into parts, seperated by spaces
  String[] parts = split(original, " ");
  // remove the colon
  println(parts[0].replace(":", ""));

  // use a regular expression to get the desired part
  Pattern p = Pattern.compile("(\\d\\d):(\\d\\d)");
  Matcher m = p.matcher(original);
  if(m.find()){
    println(m.group(1)+m.group(2));
  }

}

honzojd

This would work, but there is problem that is loaded from XML which is placed on the interned so the String is in the document described as

String zip = "10003";
String url = "http://"  + "xml.weather.yahoo.com/forecastrss?p=" + zip;    
String time = "";  // dynamic value 12:45
time = forecas.getString("time");
XML forecast = xml.getChild("channel/item/yweather:forecast"); // in this parent is placed child called "time"

but thanks for this solution benja! I am saving it for the next time

_vk

https://processing.org/reference/XML.html

blindfish

@honzojd: As with your other post: include a sample of the XML. If the time is in a standard datetime format you should be able to parse it directly to a date object, which is probably your intention...

@benja: if the intention is to do something programmatically with the time values then none of your suggestions are especially useful as you're simply swapping one string representation for another. @GoToLoop's suggestion is better, but a datetime parser may be the best option depending on the string being parsed...

honzojd

@blindfish: I've updated the comment "sorry for the HTML in the middle". Btw: good wise answer, thank you for this comment. Yes that's my intention but I don't know how to do it when I am not able to edit the XML and substrings didn't work :/