Can parse a string representing a string[] into an actual string[].
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
namespace RestCake.Util
{
public static class StringUtil
{
/// <summary>
/// Can parse a string representing a string[] into an actual string[].
/// You can delimit strings with nothing (though commas can't be in the string values), ' or ".
/// Surrounding [] chars are optional.
/// Examples:
/// a,b,c
/// 'a','b','c'
/// "a","b","c"
/// [a,b,c]
/// ['a','b','c']
/// ["a","b","c"]
/// A space after a comma is ok, but if you aren't using a string delimiter, a space will be added to the next string's beginning (" b").
/// Escaped characters also work, such as ["foo, \"bar\"", "\"quoted string\"", "'single quoted with \" delimiter'"]
/// You can't mix delimiters. Use all nothing, all ', or all ". The first delimiter found will be used (at char index 0 or 1, depending on the wrapping []s presence)
/// </summary>
/// <param name="input"></param>
/// <returns></returns>
public static string[] ParseStringArray(string input)
{
if (String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(input))
return null;
input = input.Trim();
bool brackets = input[0] == '[' && input[input.Length - 1] == ']';
// String delimeter can be ' or ", or nothing.
// Note that without a string delimeter, you can't have commas in your string, cause that's what we'll split on.
char delim = 'X';
// Depending on if we're brackets in []s or not, we'll look for the string delimiter at index 0 or 1
int delimIndex = brackets ? 1 : 0;
if (input[delimIndex] == '\'')
delim = '\'';
else if (input[delimIndex] == '"')
delim = '"';
//Console.WriteLine("input: " + input);
//Console.WriteLine("delim: " + delim);
//Console.WriteLine("brackets: " + brackets);
if (delim == 'X')
{
// easiest case, split on ,
if (brackets)
// Get rid of the wrapping []'s
return input.Substring(1, input.Length - 2).Split(',');
else
return input.Split(',');
}
// From here on, we KNOW we have a string delimiter of ' or "
bool inString = false;
bool escapeNext = false;
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
List<string> strings = new List<string>();
for(int i = 0; i < input.Length; ++i)
{
// Skip any possible wrapping [] chars
if (brackets && (i == 0 || i == input.Length - 1))
continue;
char c = input[i];
if (escapeNext)
{
//Console.WriteLine("escaping char: " + c);
escapeNext = false;
sb.Append(c);
}
else if (c == '\\' && inString)
{
//Console.WriteLine("Will escape next");
escapeNext = true;
sb.Append(c);
}
else if (c == delim)
{
//Console.WriteLine("at delim");
inString = !inString;
}
else if (c == ',')
{
Console.Write("at comma: ");
if (inString)
{
//Console.WriteLine("instring");
// This is a comma in the string
sb.Append(c);
}
else
{
//Console.WriteLine("out of string");
// This comma separates one string from another
//Console.WriteLine("end string");
strings.Add(sb.ToString());
sb.Clear();
}
}
else if (inString)
{
sb.Append(c);
}
}
// The last string wasn't added, because it gets added when a comma is encountered, and there's no last comma
strings.Add(sb.ToString());
return strings.ToArray();
}
}
}
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