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Computer Science Mathematics

Create a function that removes symbols

A J

Posted 11 years ago

I am trying to write a function in Mathematica that takes a string and removes any spaces and punctuations and also turns capital letters into their lowercase equivalents, and keeps all lower case letters. This is what I have so far, and it doesn't seem to work. formatText[plaintext_] := Module[{c = ToCharacterCode[plaintext], x = 0, z = {}}, While[x < StringLength[plaintext], If [c[[x]] <= 64 \|\| 91 <= c[[x]] <= 96 \|\| c[[x]] >= 123, c[[x]] = 0, //here I just need it to do nothing If[65 <= c[[x]] <= 90, Append[z, c[[x]] + 32], Append[z, c[[x]]]]]; x = x++;]; FromCharacterCode[z]]; Any help is appreciated.

I am trying to write a function in Mathematica that takes a string and removes any spaces and punctuations and also turns capital letters into their lowercase equivalents, and keeps all lower case letters. This is what I have so far, and it doesn't seem to work.

formatText[plaintext_] := Module[{c = ToCharacterCode[plaintext], x = 0, z = {}}, 
  While[x < StringLength[plaintext], If [c[[x]] <= 64 || 91 <= c[[x]] <= 96 || c[[x]] >= 123, 
  c[[x]] = 0, //here I just need it to do nothing
   If[65 <= c[[x]] <= 90, Append[z, c[[x]] + 32], 
  Append[z, c[[x]]]]]; x = x++;]; FromCharacterCode[z]];

Any help is appreciated.

POSTED BY: A J

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David Reiss

David Reiss, Scientific Arts

Posted 11 years ago

Mathematica has some very powerful string manipulation commands. Try the following: In[1]:= modifyString[str_String] := ToLowerCase[StringReplace[str, Except[LetterCharacter] -> ""]] In[2]:= modifyString["I am trying to write a function in Mathematica \ that takes a string and removes any spaces and punctuations and also \ turns capital letters into their lowercase equivalents, and keeps all \ lower case letters. This is what I have so far, and it doesn't seem to work."] Out[2]= "iamtryingtowriteafunctioninmathematicathattakesastringandremo\ vesanyspacesandpunctuationsandalsoturnscapitallettersintotheirlowercas\ eequivalentsandkeepsalllowercaselettersthisiswhatihavesofaranditdoesnt\ seemtowork" If you want to allow digits as well then change `LetterCharacter` above to `WordCharacter`. Note that in the above input and output the backslash characters are just a result of the copy and past from Mathematica into this forum. They are not part of the input or the output.

Mathematica has some very powerful string manipulation commands. Try the following:

In[1]:= modifyString[str_String] := 
 ToLowerCase[StringReplace[str, Except[LetterCharacter] -> ""]]

In[2]:= modifyString["I am trying to write a function in Mathematica \
that takes a string and removes any spaces and punctuations and also \
turns capital letters into their lowercase equivalents, and keeps all \
lower case letters. 

 This is what I have so far, and it doesn't seem to work."]

Out[2]= "iamtryingtowriteafunctioninmathematicathattakesastringandremo\
vesanyspacesandpunctuationsandalsoturnscapitallettersintotheirlowercas\
eequivalentsandkeepsalllowercaselettersthisiswhatihavesofaranditdoesnt\
seemtowork"

If you want to allow digits as well then change LetterCharacter above to WordCharacter.

Note that in the above input and output the backslash characters are just a result of the copy and past from Mathematica into this forum. They are not part of the input or the output.

POSTED BY: David Reiss

A J

Posted 11 years ago

That is a lot simpler than what I had tried. Thank you!

POSTED BY: A J

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