CODEWITHSUNDEEP
phpstringwhitespace
yhussain
yhussain

Reputation: 308

Can't get whitespace added to string in PHP

I"m trying to make a web form that outputs to flat text file line by line what the input to the web form is. Several of the fields are not required but the output file must input blank spaces in for whatever is not filled out. Here is what I'm trying:

$output = $_SESSION["emp_id"];
if(!empty($_POST['trans_date'])) {
    $output .= $_POST["trans_date"];
}else{
$output = str_pad($output, 6);
}
if(!empty($_POST['chart'])) {
    $output .= $_POST["chart"];
}else{
    $output = str_pad($output, 6);
}

write_line($output);

function write_line($line){
        $file = 'coh.txt';
        // Open the file to get existing content
        $current = file_get_contents($file);
        // Append a new line to the file
        $current .= $line . PHP_EOL;
        // Write the contents back to the file
        file_put_contents($file, $current);
    }

However, when I check my output the spaces don't show up. Any ideas on what's going on with this? Thanks in advance!

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1679

Answers (2)

versalle88
versalle88

Reputation: 1137

str_pad() won't add that number of spaces, but rather makes the string that length by adding the appropriate number of spaces. Try str_repeat():

$output = $_SESSION["emp_id"];
if(!empty($_POST['trans_date'])) {
    $output .= $_POST["trans_date"];
}else{
    $output = $output . str_repeat(' ', 6);
}
if(!empty($_POST['chart'])) {
    $output .= $_POST["chart"];
}else{
    $output = $output . str_repeat(' ', 6);
}

write_line($output);

function write_line($line) {
    $file = 'coh.txt';
    // Open the file to get existing content
    $current = file_get_contents($file);
    // Append a new line to the file
    $current .= $line . PHP_EOL;
    // Write the contents back to the file
    file_put_contents($file, $current);
}

Cheers!

Upvotes: 1

Hans Z.
Hans Z.

Reputation: 53888

str_pad is padding with spaces, not adding spaces. You're padding an existing value with spaces so that it is 6 characters long, not adding 6 whitespaces to the value. So if $_SESSION["emp_id"] is 6 characters long or more, nothing will be added.

Upvotes: 3

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