Ring Documentation, Release 1.5.

myfunc(aList) # call function, pass list by reference

see aList # print 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

func myfunc list

list + [6,7,8,9,10]

26.16 Access List Items by String Index

Instead of using numbers to determine the item index when we get item value or set item value, We can access items
using string index if the item is a list contains two items and the first item is a string.
Example:
aList = [ ["one",1] , ["two",2] , ["three",3] ]
see aList["one"] + nl +
aList["two"] + nl +
aList["three"] # print 1 2 3

This type of lists can be defined in a better syntax using the : and = operators.
Example:
aList = [ :one = 1 , :two = 2 , :three = 3 ]
see aList["one"] + nl +
aList["two"] + nl +
aList["three"] + nl # print 1 2 3
see aList[1] # print one 1

Tip: using : before identifier (one word) means literal

Note: using = inside list definition create a list of two items where the first item is the left side and the second item is
the right side.

We can add new items to the list using the string index
Example:
aList = []
aList["Egypt"] = "Cairo"
aList["KSA"] = "Riyadh"
see aList["Egypt"] + nl + # print Cairo
aList["KSA"] + nl # print Riyadh

26.17 Passing Parameters Using List

This type of lists is very good for passing parameters to functions Where the order of parameters will not be important
(we can change the order).
Also some parameters maybe optional.
Example:

26.16. Access List Items by String Index 195

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myconnect ( [ :server = "myserver.com" , :port = 80 ,

:username = "mahmoud" , :password = "password" ] )

func myconnect mypara

# print connection details

see "User Name : " + mypara[:username] + nl +
"Password : " + mypara[:password] + nl +
"Server : " + mypara[:server] + nl +
"Port : " + mypara[:port]

26.18 Swap Items

We can swap the list items using the Swap() function.

Example:
aList = [:one,:two,:four,:three]
see aList
see copy("*",50) + nl
swap(aList,3,4)
see aList

Output
one
two
four
three
**************************************************
one
two
three
four

26.18. Swap Items 196

 CHAPTER

TWENTYSEVEN

STRINGS

In this chapter we are going to learn about strings creation and manipulation.

27.1 String Literals

Syntax:
cStr = "This is a string"
cStr2 = 'Another string'
cStr3 = :JustAnotherString
cStr4 = `Yet "another" 'string' ! `

27.2 Get String Length

We can get the string length (letters count inside a string) using the len() function
Syntax:
len(string) ---> string length

Example:
cStr = "How are you?"
see cStr + nl
see "String size : " + len(cStr) + nl

27.3 Convert Letters Case

Syntax:
lower(string) ---> convert string letters to lower case
upper(string) ---> convert string letters to UPPER case

Example:
cStr = "Welcome To The Ring Programming Language"
see cStr + nl + upper(cStr) + nl + lower(cStr)

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27.4 Access String Letters

We can access a letter inside a string by the letter index

Syntax:
string[index] ---> get string letter
string[index] = letter # set string letter

Example:
# print user name letter by letter (each letter in new line)

See "Hello, Enter your name : " give cName

for x = 1 to len(cName)
see nl + cName[x]
next

We can use for in to get string letters.

Example:
# print user name letter by letter (each letter in new line)

See "Hello, Enter your name : " give cName

for x in cName
see nl + x
next

We can modify the string letters

Example:
# convert the first letter to UPPER case

See "Enter your name : " give cName

cName[1] = upper(cName[1])
see "Hello " + cName

27.5 Left() Function

We can get a specified number of characters from a string using the Left() function.
The starting position is 1.
Syntax:
Left(string,count)

Example:
see left("Hello World!",5) # print Hello

27.6 Right() Function

We can get a specified number of characters from a string using the Right() function.

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The starting position is the last character on the right.

Syntax:
Right(string,count)

Example:
see Right("Hello World!",6) # print World!

27.7 Trim() Function

We can remove all leading and trailing spaces from a string using the Trim() function.
Syntax:
trim(string)

Example:
cMsg = " Welcome "
see trim(cMsg) # print Welcome

27.8 Copy() Function

We can duplicate a string more than one time using the copy() function.
Syntax:
copy(string,nCount) ---> string replicated nCount times

Example
see copy("***hello***",3) # print ***hello******hello******hello***

27.9 Lines() Function

We can count the number of lines inside a string using the Lines() function.
Syntax:
lines(string) ---> Number of lines inside the string

Example:
cStr = "Hello
How are you?
are you fine?"
see lines(cStr) # print 3

27.7. Trim() Function 199

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27.10 Substr() Function

We can work on sub strings inside a string using the substr() function. Using Substr() we can
• Find substring
• Get substring from position to end
• Get Number of characters from position
• Transform Substring To Another Substring

27.11 Find substring

Syntax:
substr(string,substring) ---> the starting position of substring in string

Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the Ring programming language"
see substr(cStr,"Ring") # print 16

27.12 Get substring from position to end

Syntax:
substr(string,position) ---> Get substring starting from position to end

Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the Ring programming language"
nPos = substr(cStr,"Ring") # nPos = 16
see substr(cStr,nPos) # print Ring programming language

27.13 Get Number of Characters From Position

Syntax:
substr(string,position,count) ---> Get characters starting from position

Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the Ring programming language"
nPos = substr(cStr,"Ring") # nPos = 16
see substr(cStr,nPos,4) # print Ring

27.14 Transform Substring To Another Substring

Syntax:

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substr(string,substring,newsubstring) ---> Transformed string (Match case)

substr(string,substring,newsubstring,1) ---> Transformed string (Ignore case)

Example:
cStr = "Welcome to the New programming language"
see substr(cStr,"New","Ring") + nl # print Welcome to the Ring programming language
see substr(cStr,"new","Ring",1)+ nl # print Welcome to the Ring programming language

27.15 strcmp() Function

We can compare between two strings using the strcmp() function.

Syntax:
strcmp(cString1,cString2) ---> value = 0 if cString1 = cString2
value < 0 if cString1 < cString2
value > 0 if cString1 > cString2

Example:
see strcmp("hello","hello") + nl +
strcmp("abc","bcd") + nl +
strcmp("bcd","abc") + nl

Output:
0
-1
1

27.16 str2list() and list2str() Functions

We can convert string lines to list items using the str2list() function. Also we can convert the list to a string using
list2str() function.
Syntax:
str2list(string) ---> list contains the string lines
list2str(list) ---> string contains the list items

Example:
/* output:
** Items : 4
** Item : Hello
** Item : How are you ?
** Item : are you fine ?
** Item : ok
** list2Str result = Hello
** How are you ?
** are you fine ?
** ok
** Done
*/

27.15. strcmp() Function 201

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mystr = "Hello
How are you ?
are you fine ?
ok"

mylist = str2list(mystr)
see "Items : " + len(mylist) + nl

for x in mylist
see "Item : " + x + nl
next

newstr = list2str(mylist)
see "list2Str result = " + newstr

if mystr = newstr
see nl + "Done"
else
see nl + "Error!"
ok

27.16. str2list() and list2str() Functions 202

 CHAPTER

TWENTYEIGHT

DATE AND TIME

In this chapter we are going to learn about the date and time functions.

28.1 Clock() Function

Syntax:
Clock() ---> The number of clock ticks from program start

Example:
See "Calculate performance" + nl
t1 = clock()
for x = 1 to 1000000 next
see clock() - t1

28.2 ClocksPerSecond() Function

Return how many clocks in one second

Syntax:
clockspersecond() ---> Number of clocks in one second

Example:
# Wait 1 second
t = clock()
while clock() - t <= clockspersecond() end

28.3 Time() Function

We can get the system time using the Time() function.

Example:
See "Time : " + time()

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28.4 Date() Function

We can get the date using the Date() function.

Syntax:
Date() ---> String represent the date "dd/mm/yyyy"

Example:
See "Date : " + date() # Date : 24/05/2015

28.5 TimeList() Function

We can print the date and the time information using the TimeList() function.
Syntax:
TimeList() ---> List contains the time and date information.

The next table presents the list items

index value
1 abbreviated weekday name
2 full weekday name
3 abbreviated month name
4 full month name
5 Date & Time
6 Day of the month
7 Hour (24)
8 Hour (12)
9 Day of the year
10 Month of the year
11 Minutes after hour
12 AM or PM
13 Seconds after the hour
14 Week of the year (sun-sat)
15 day of the week
16 date
17 time
18 year of the century
19 year
20 time zone
21 percent sign
Example:
/* Output:
** Sun abbreviated weekday name
** Sunday full weekday name
** May abbreviated month name
** May full month name
** 05/24/15 09:58:38 Date & Time
** 24 Day of the month
** 09 Hour (24)

28.4. Date() Function 204