CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javagroovy
Brian
Brian

Reputation: 13571

Is there a more terse/elegant way to format the following Social Security Number like String with or without Groovy?

BEFORE:

EUTQQGOPED

AFTER:

EUT-QQG-OPED

The example below is what I came up with to add '-' to a 10 character String as part of a readability requirement. The formatting pattern is similar to how a U.S Social Security Number is often formatted.

Is there a simpler, less verbose way of accomplishing the additional format?

public static void main(String[] args){
        String pin = "EUTQQGOPED";
        StringBuilder formattedPIN = new StringBuilder(pin);
        formattedPIN = formattedPIN.insert(3, '-').insert(7, '-');
        //output is EUT-QQG-OPED
        println formattedPIN
}

Upvotes: 5

Views: 3610

Answers (5)

epidemian
epidemian

Reputation: 19229

For simplicity, I'd go with:

def pin = "EUTQQGOPED"
def formatted = [pin[0..2], pin[3..5], pin[6..-1]].join('-')

For brevity, this might be a hack, but it's very short (and I think it's quite readable too hehe):

def formatted = "-$pin"[1..3, 0, 4..6, 0, 7..10]

Upvotes: 3

Bohemian
Bohemian

Reputation: 425208

I think what you've done is the best way to do it, however you could make it more elegant by simply in-lining everything, as follows:

public static void main(String[] args) {
    println new StringBuilder("EUTQQGOPED").insert(6, '-').insert(3, '-');
}

This kind of in-lining is possible due to StringBuilder providing a fluent interface (which allows method chaining).

Also note the transposition of the inserts, because the order you had them in means the first insert affects the parameters of the second insert. By ordering them largest-first means they are basically independent of each other.

And there's always... "less code == good" (as long as it's still readable, and in this case it is IMHO more readable)

Upvotes: 7

pimaster
pimaster

Reputation: 1967

Whilst I like the String.format option, I think breaking it up looks uglier.

    String pin = "EUTQQGOPED";
    System.out.println(String.format("%s-%s-%s", pin.substring(0, 3), pin.substring(3,6), pin.substring(6)));

Upvotes: 2

David
David

Reputation: 1970

These are a couple of options that Groovy gives you. They don't necessarily read very easily in this case, but they are nice and short.

    def pin = "EUTQQGOPED"

    // Option 1
    def formatted1 = "${pin[0..2]}-${pin[3..5]}-${pin[6..-1]}" 
    println formatted1

    // Option 2
    def pt1 = pin[0..2]
    def pt2 = pin[3..5]
    def pt3 = pin[6..-1]

    def formatted2 = pt1 << "-" << pt2 << "-" << pt3
    println formatted2

Upvotes: 2

Adam
Adam

Reputation: 36723

Could use regex, it's slightly clearer what you're doing, but prob not as efficient.

String formattedPin = pin.replaceAll("(.{3})(.{3})(.{4})", "$1-$2-$3")
System.out.println(formattedPin);

Upvotes: 5

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