Padding Strings

scruffyduck · May 2nd, 2006, 08:21 AM

Well I am trying to use string.padRight to set a bunch of strings to the length of the longest. But the strings are not getting any right spaces. Here is the code that is doing nothing. I have checked the reference guide and this looks like it should pad the string to the right with the value in the brackets but it doesn't. texturelength is 32 in my test

Code:

Dim padTexture As String = texture
padTexture.PadRight(texturelength + 2)

Any pointers much appreciated

Jon Masterson

scruffyduck · May 2nd, 2006, 03:02 PM

OK I figured it out. First I thought it was because I used a For Each...Next loop to iterate a set. Then I realized that I was not trying to write to the enumerated value in any case.

Finally it dawned on me that there needs to be an Assignment

Code:

padTexture = padTexture.padRight(textureLength + 2)

My fault but somehow I got the mindset that the compiler would throw out something that should be part of an assignment - apparently not even with Option Strict on.

Jon Masterson

Rod Stephens · May 3rd, 2006, 07:50 AM

You're right. All of the similar String methods PadRight, PadLeft, Substring, Trim, Replace, etc. return a value, they don't modify the value of the String you're working with.

Some of the MVPs have talked about raising a warning if you don't use a function's return value. I think the concensus was that someone will be confused either way.

Rod
[email protected]
Author of "Visual Basic 2005 Programmer's Reference"
http://www.vb-helper.com/vb_prog_ref.htm

scruffyduck · May 3rd, 2006, 10:55 AM

Quote:

quote:Some of the MVPs have talked about raising a warning if you don't use a function's return value. I think the concensus was that someone will be confused either way.

Me for one :D:D

Jon Masterson