Array Problem

I thought I understood how to traverse an array, but I guess I was wrong. I
have tried writing the code snippet below as: while, for, foreach... and get
the same (consistently wrong) result each time!

$data is a string variable containing lines of text. Each line is terminated
with a break (<br>). I need to analyze each line to ensure it does not exceed
$maxLength. If it is <= $maxLength do nothing, otherwise truncate the line at
$maxLength minus 3 and add ellipses (...). I then need to reassemble
everything back into a string variable, for later printing. Here is my code:

$line = explode('<br>', $data);
$count = count($line);
$i=1;
while ($i <= $count) {
$line = (strlen($line)>$maxLength) ? (substr($line,0,($maxLength-3)).'...')
: $line;
$i++;
}
$data = implode('<br>', $line);
echo $data;

I know I am forming the array correctly, because $line and $count display as
expected. I know that the ternary is correct, because it produces the desired
result using the original string (i.e., substituting $data outside the
'while' loop).

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

"<>" <loopback@44.255.255.255> wrote in message
news:9H9rb.124759$ZH4.91655@twister.socal.rr.com.. .
> I thought I understood how to traverse an array, but I guess I was wrong.
I
> have tried writing the code snippet below as: while, for, foreach... and
get
> the same (consistently wrong) result each time!
>
> $data is a string variable containing lines of text. Each line is
terminated
> with a break (<br>). I need to analyze each line to ensure it does not
exceed
> $maxLength. If it is <= $maxLength do nothing, otherwise truncate the line
at
> $maxLength minus 3 and add ellipses (...). I then need to reassemble
> everything back into a string variable, for later printing. Here is my
code:
>
> $line = explode('<br>', $data);
> $count = count($line);
> $i=1;
> while ($i <= $count) {
> $line = (strlen($line)>$maxLength) ?
(substr($line,0,($maxLength-3)).'...')
> : $line;
> $i++;
> }
> $data = implode('<br>', $line);
> echo $data;
>
> I know I am forming the array correctly, because $line and $count display
as
> expected. I know that the ternary is correct, because it produces the
desired
> result using the original string (i.e., substituting $data outside the
> 'while' loop).
>
> Any help will be greatly appreciated.
>

You aren't using your counter for anything. You are trying to run this on
every element, not the whole array at once. You should do this:


$line[$i] = (strlen($line[$i])>$maxLength) ?
(substr($line[$i],0,($maxLength-3)).'...') : $line[$i];

HTH

[ not posted to alt.php ]

<> wrote:
> $line = explode('<br>', $data);
### $line is an array
> $count = count($line);
> $i=1;
> while ($i <= $count) {
> $line = (strlen($line)>$maxLength) ? (substr($line,0,($maxLength-3)).'...') : $line;
### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ strlen( <array> ) ????
> $i++;
> }
> $data = implode('<br>', $line);
> echo $data;
>
> I know I am forming the array correctly, because $line and $count display as
> expected. I know that the ternary is correct, because it produces the desired
> result using the original string (i.e., substituting $data outside the
> 'while' loop).

try:

<?php
$line = explode('<br>', $data);
foreach ($line as $currline) {
while (strlen($currline) > $maxLength) {
### As I don't want to change the array inside the loop,
### I'm creating another array for the results
$newline[] = (substr($currline, 0, ($maxLength - 3)) . '...');
$currline = substr($currline, ($maxLength - 3));
}
$newline[] = $currline;
}
$newdata = implode('<br/>', $newline);
echo $newdata;
?>


Happy Coding :)

--
..sig

"jn" <jsumner1@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:jP9rb.32421$jW5.547876@twister.tampabay.rr.co m...
> "<>" <loopback@44.255.255.255> wrote in message
> news:9H9rb.124759$ZH4.91655@twister.socal.rr.com.. .
<snip>
> > $data is a string variable containing lines of text. Each line is
> terminated
> > with a break (<br>). I need to analyze each line to ensure it does not
> exceed
> > $maxLength. If it is <= $maxLength do nothing, otherwise truncate the
line
> at
> > $maxLength minus 3 and add ellipses (...). I then need to reassemble
> > everything back into a string variable, for later printing. Here is my
> code:
> >
> > $line = explode('<br>', $data);
> > $count = count($line);
> > $i=1;
> > while ($i <= $count) {
> > $line = (strlen($line)>$maxLength) ?
> (substr($line,0,($maxLength-3)).'...')
> > : $line;
> > $i++;
> > }
> > $data = implode('<br>', $line);
> > echo $data;
> >
<snip>
>
> You aren't using your counter for anything. You are trying to run this on
> every element, not the whole array at once. You should do this:
>
>
> $line[$i] = (strlen($line[$i])>$maxLength) ?
> (substr($line[$i],0,($maxLength-3)).'...') : $line[$i];

I could have sworn I already tried that! Oh well... thanks for your help.
I'll learn.

Now that this snippet is working, it has uncovered another problem. That is,
if a <pre> is part of $data, the ternary is ineffective on that substring. I
guess I can solve that with an if/else and substr. Do you think it is better
to do it inside or outside of the loop?