to ensure string is legal field name, first thought is below:

private string ConvertToDBFieldName ( string str )
{//disallowed characters in database fieldname ` . ! ’ [ ] " * ?
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder ( str );
sb.Replace ( " ", "_" );
sb.Replace ( "`", "" );
sb.Replace ( ".", "" );
sb.Replace ( "!", "" );
sb.Replace ( "’", "" );
sb.Replace ( "[", "" );
sb.Replace ( "]", "" );
sb.Replace ( "\"", "" );
sb.Replace ( "*", "" );
sb.Replace ( "?", "" );
return sb.ToString ( );
}
comments?
thanks
mark

"Peter Duniho" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 1/27/11 12:03 PM, mp wrote:
>> to ensure string is legal field name, first thought is below:
>>
>> private string ConvertToDBFieldName ( string str )
>> {//disallowed characters in database fieldname ` . ! ? [ ] " *
>> ?
>> StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder ( str );
>> sb.Replace ( " ", "_" );
>> sb.Replace ( "`", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( ".", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "!", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "?", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "[", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "]", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "\"", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "*", "" );
>> sb.Replace ( "?", "" );
>> return sb.ToString ( );
>> }
>> comments?
>
> Another example of where the Regex class might be nicer. But even without
> Regex, it can be somewhat simpler/more-readable:
>
> private static HashSet<char> _removeChars =
> new HashSet(new char[] { '`', '.', '!', '?', '[', ']', '\\', '*',
> '?' });
>
> private string ConvertToDBFieldName(string str)
> {
> StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(str.Length);
>
> foreach (char ch in str)
> {
> if (ch == ' ')
> {
> sb.Append('_');
> }
> else if (!_removeChars.Contains(ch))
> {
> sb.Append(ch);
> }
> }
>
> return str;
> }
>
> The use of repeated calls to Replace() is not quite as bad when using
> StringBuilder as if you were using String. But it's still potentially
> expensive, and in any case always excessively so. IMHO, simply filtering
> as you copy characters is clearer and more efficient. What's not to like?
>
>
> Pete

very nice!
:-)
thanks
mark
ps I assumed you meant > return sb.ToString();
and it seemed to want HashSet<char>(new char[]

i'll have to give some thought to the regex version..
still not in my head yet.
:-)
i'm sure there's a simple negating character grouping construct...
i'll look it up
thanks again
mark

"mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ihqsg4$qvl$(E-Mail Removed)...

> i'm sure there's a simple negating character grouping construct...

[^<your negative character list>]

"mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ihqqr7$mdq$(E-Mail Removed)...

> to ensure string is legal field name, first thought is below:

Field name for what DBMS? Access allows spaces, for example, as does SQL
Server. Also, and unfortunately, SQL Server allows at least one of the
bracket characters ( [ & ] ) inside a field name. I've actually run across
one before. I cursed the table creator with everything I had. Hopefully he
at least contracted some boils....

"Jeff Johnson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ihqsop$vp1$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ihqqr7$mdq$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> to ensure string is legal field name, first thought is below:
>
> Field name for what DBMS?

sqlite

Access allows spaces, for example, as does SQL
> Server.

i know they're allowed, i just didn't want them

Also, and unfortunately, SQL Server allows at least one of the
> bracket characters ( [ & ] ) inside a field name. I've actually run across
> one before. I cursed the table creator with everything I had. Hopefully he
> at least contracted some boils....

:-)

"Big Steel" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:03:49 -0600, "mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> to ensure string is legal field name, first thought is below:
>
>
>> private string ConvertToDBFieldName ( string str )
>> {//disallowed characters in database fieldname ` . ! ’ [ ]
> " * ?
[]>> }
>> comments?
>
> It's overkill validation.
>
>

actually this just runs once, i'm just massaging some existing strings
and making them palatable for a CREATE tbl (fldName T,....) string
I knew the input strings had some flaky chars so just throwing together
a little cleanup temp method

"Peter Duniho" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 1/27/11 12:32 PM, mp wrote:
>> [...]
>> ps I assumed you meant> return sb.ToString();
>> and it seemed to want HashSet<char>(new char[]
>
> Yes to both. The hazards of posting from a Mac. Fortunately,
> mistakes like those are easy to detect and fix.

yep, just tagged that on for sake of archives
thanks again
mark

"Jeff Johnson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ihqskl$v88$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ihqsg4$qvl$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> i'm sure there's a simple negating character grouping construct...
>
> [^<your negative character list>]
>

thats' what I thought i remembered but had to look it up again to be sure
seems i have to put the carat outside ^[<your negative character list>]
i tried this
Regex rgx = new Regex ( @"^[\s()'-]" );

sb.Append ( rgx.Match ( str ) );

but that wiped everything out

so i tried

foreach (char c in str)
{
if (!rgx.IsMatch ( c.ToString ( ) ))
{
sb.Append ( c.ToString ( ) );
}
}

which worked but i don't think that's how i'm supposed to have to do it with
regex...i have to go back to my articles and re-read

thanks

mark

"mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ihrs93$7n7$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Jeff Johnson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ihqskl$v88$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "mp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:ihqsg4$qvl$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>> i'm sure there's a simple negating character grouping construct...
>>
>> [^<your negative character list>]
>>
>
> thats' what I thought i remembered but had to look it up again to be sure
> seems i have to put the carat outside ^[<your negative character list>]

no you big dummy that means beginning of string...
jeff was right
but for some reason my mangling appeared to work????
i'll have to look at this some more

:-\

On 26-01-2011 23:36, Jeff Johnson wrote:
> "mp"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ihqqr7$mdq$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> to ensure string is legal field name, first thought is below:
>
> Field name for what DBMS? Access allows spaces, for example, as does SQL
> Server. Also, and unfortunately, SQL Server allows at least one of the
> bracket characters ( [& ] ) inside a field name. I've actually run across
> one before. I cursed the table creator with everything I had. Hopefully he
> at least contracted some boils....

Better to pick names that can be expected to be valid in
most/all databases.

Arne