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Yes, I will attach some sample text that caused this question. It actually came form aTBRef. I was trying to compare/summarize the different methods for Dictionaries, Lists/Sets etc in a Numbers spreadsheet. I initially tried to use tables but I needed to capture just 3 attributes only: $Name, $Text and $NoteURL into the spreadsheet of selected notes. Your script gave me this flexibility.
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Yes, I would like to “clean” / “trim” any leading whitespace from the beginning and end of the text. In addition, much of the $Text in question has double lines and normal quotes within the text. Yes, ideally I would like to condense and remove all emply lines from the body of the text as well if possible. Lastly, I think, since the $Text has quotation marks within the text, it would be best to start the $Text value with a single quotation and end with a single quotation to define the boundaries.
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I was experimenting with Numbers, I had not tried Excel. Many times, I find import, export from Numbers is easier but if it works in Excel, then fine as well.
Basically, what I wanted were 3 columns using your custom attibute script:
| Name | Text | NoteURL |
---- $Text in question from 4 notes -----
—$Text from Note 1 ----
Dictionary.add(itemDict)
This reads a Dictionary-type argument itemDict from which a key and a value are parsed.
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add({apple:green});
Note that quotes are not needed around the key and value.
If key does not exist, that key is created with a value of value.
If key exists, key is given value value. This replaces any/all existing values for this key.
Assume $MyDictionary has no ‘apple’ key. Example:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add({apple:fruit});
The key ‘apple’ is added and now has value ‘fruit’
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add({apple:green});
The key ‘apple’ now has a new value ‘green’. Now assume the ‘apple’ key has multiple values of ‘fruit;green;red’:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add({apple:pie});
Now the value is just ‘pie’ because an .add() operator replaces all existing value(s).
This operator is also equivalent to:
Dictionary[“key”] = “value”;
To add an additional value(s) to existing value(s), see Dictionary.extend().
To remove a key—and any value(s) it has—from the Dictionary, there is no operator but instead the key string is deleted using a minus operator: see ‘Deleting key:value pairs’ here.
As from v9.5.2, the .add() operator accepts quoted strings. The following expressions are equivalent:
$MyDictionary.add({1:able}}
$MyDictionary.add(“{1:able}”}
But do not use either of the following example syntax:
$MyDictionary.add({“1:able”}} WRONG!
$MyDictionary.add({“1”:“able”}} WRONG!
Using offset addresses within itemDict
Either the keyStr or the valueStr may need to be calculated variable, for instance the valueStr might need to be the value of $MyString(“Some note”) or in a loop, $MyString(loopVar). These cannot be resolved within the .add() operator but itemDict can be a variable. Thus, in a loop, rather than:
vDict = vDict.add({$Name(aState)+“:”+$Color(aState)});
use:
vList.each(aState){
// Dict.add() can't resolve attribute offset value
// so store the complete string in a string
// variable and pass a single var argument to .add()
var:string vPair = $Name(aState)+":"+$Color(aState);
vDict = vDict.add({vPair});
};
Legacy form (pre-v9.5.0)
Dictionary.add(keyStr, valueStr)
This sets a keyStr to the valueStr.
If keyStr does not exist, that key is created with a value of valueStr.
If keyStr exists, keyStr is given value valueStr. This replaces any/all existing values for this key.
Assume $MyDictionary has no ‘apple’ keyStr. Example:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add(“apple”,“fruit”);
The keyStr ‘apple’ is added and now has valueStr ‘fruit’
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add(“apple”,“green”);
The keyStr ‘apple’ now has a new value ‘green’. Now assume the ‘apple’ key has multiple values of ‘fruit;green;red’:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.add(“apple”,“pie”);
Now the value is just ‘pie’ because an .add() operator replaces all existing valueStr(s).
—$Text from Note 2 —
Dictionary.contains(keyStr)
The expression:
$MyDictionary.contains(key)
is true if the dictionary contains the designated key.
Note that keyStr is literal string and not a regex pattern (unlike the operator’s use chained with some other data types).
Dictionaries are case-sensitive, but Dictionary.icontains(key) is available for case-insensitive matching.
—$Text from Note 3 —
Dictionary.count()
Dictionary.count
A Number-type property. Returns the number of keys in the dictionary (by their nature all keys are discrete so there is not potential of duplication in the count). If:
$MyDictionary = {cat:animal; dog:animal; rock: mineral};
$MyNumber = $MyDictionary.count;
MyNumber is now 3.
Dictionary.count and Dictionary.size are interchangeable. Use which ever seems more intuitive.
—Bonus — Text from Note 4 ----
Dictionary.extend(itemDict)
This reads a Dictionary-type argument itemDict from which a key and a value are parsed. It adds the value string to the value(s) of a key.
If key does not exist, that key is created with a value of value.
If key exists, value is appended to key’s existing value(s).
Assume $MyDictionary has no ‘pear’ key. Example:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.extend({pear:fruit});
The key ‘pear’ is added and now has value ‘fruit’. Next:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.extend({pear:green});
The key ‘pear’ now has an additional new value ‘green’, but the overall value is now a list and the key:value pair is pear:fruit;green.
To set the new valueStr so it replaces all existing value(s) see Dictionary.add().
Note that quotes are not used around either/both the keyStr and valueStr. As from v9.5.2, the .extend() operator accepts quoted strings. The following expressions are equivalent:
$MyDictionary.extend({1:able}}
$MyDictionary.extend(“{1:able}”}
But do not use either of the following example syntax:
$MyDictionary.extend({“1:able”}} WRONG!
$MyDictionary.extend({“1”:“able”}} WRONG!
Dictionary.extend(keyStr, valueStr)
This adds the valueStr string to the value(s) of a keyStr.
If keyStr does not exist, that key is created with a value of valueStr.
If keyStr exists, valueStr is appended to keyStr’s existing value(s).
Assume $MyDictionary has no ‘pear’ keyStr. Example:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.extend(“pear”,“fruit”);
The keyStr ‘pear’ is added and now has valueStr ‘fruit’. Next:
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.extend(“pear”,“green”);
The keyStr ‘pear’ now has an additional new valueStr ‘green’, but the overall value is now a list and the key:value air is pear:fruit;green.
To set the new valueStr so it replaces all existing value(s) see Dictionary.add().
Dictionary.extend(dictStr)
From v9.5.0, the Dictionary.extend() operator takes a single argument, a dictionary—using the new {} syntax of key:pair elements which will extend the current elements.
$MyDictionary = $MyDictionary.extend({pear:green});
Note that quotes are not used around either/both the keyStr and valueStr. As from v9.5.2, the .extend() operator accepts quoted strings. The following expressions are equivalent:
$MyDictionary.extend({1:able}}
$MyDictionary.extend(“{1:able}”}
But do not use either of the following example syntax:
$MyDictionary.extend({“1:able”}} WRONG!
$MyDictionary.extend({“1”:“able”}} WRONG!
Using offset addresses within itemDict
Either the keyStr or the valueStr may need to be calculated variable, for instance the valueStr might need to be the value of $MyString(“Some note”) or in a loop, $MyString(loopVar). These cannot be resolved within the .add() operator but itemDict can be a variable. Thus, in a loop, rather than:
vDict = vDict.extend({$Name(aState)+“:”+$Color(aState)});
use:
vList.each(aState){
// Dict.extend() can't resolve attribute offset value
// so store the complete string in a string
// variable and pass a single var argument to .extend()
var:string vPair = $Name(aState)+":"+$Color(aState);
vDict = vDict.extend({vPair});
};
NB: I probably picked the hardest text as a representative case since it has html attributes, quotes and spaces but if it works here, it will work in most other places.
Thanks Sumner
Tom
Plus it’s reusable on other Tinderbox documents. Unlike export templates or columns, it doesn’t have to be set up in each new document. Just “fill in the box.”