How to construct a string with embedded double quotes

[Ray Crumrine]

It's been a while since I used PB. Trying to construct a string something like "hello "Bob" and Mary" and I have been unable to do it. Docs say use 2 quotes like "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary" but I keep getting syntax error. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Rod Macia]

"Hello " + $DQ + "Bob" + $DQ + " and Mary"

[Gary Beene]

Howdy, Ray!

No error with this ...

Function PBMain() As Long
   ? "Bob and ""Mary"" are friends!"
End Function

[Ray Crumrine]

"Hello " + $DQ + "Bob" + $DQ + " and Mary"

Hi Rod. Tried this way. Gives "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary". [double quotes arond Bob]. Not what I need. Thanks

[Ray Crumrine]

Hello Gary! Long time since I've been on this board. Your code displays correctly. I'm going to play with it to see if I can get it into a string.

[Walt Decker]

PBWIN code:

LOCAL Bob, _
Mary AS STRING

Bob$ = "Bob"
Mary$ = "Mary"

Bob$ = "Hello " + Bob$ + " and " + Mary$

MSGBOX Bob$

In PBCC you could do it like this:

PRINT "Hello "; Bob$; " and "; Mary$

[Ray Crumrine]

Hello Walt. Going round & round with this thing.

LOCAL Bob, _
Mary,t AS STRING

Bob$ = "Bob"
Mary$ = "Mary"

Bob$ = "Hello " + Bob$ + " and " + Mary$
t = ""

using t just for a breakpoint. Evaluating Bob$ gives "Hello Bob and Mary". Unfortunately still not what I need.

[Michael Rice]

Hi Ray,
Two ways:

   LOCAL sMyString AS STRING

   sMyString = "hello ""Bob"" and Mary"
   ? sMyString

   sMyString = "hello " + $DQ + "Bob" + $DQ + " and Mary"
   ? sMyString

Output:

hello "Bob" and Mary
hello "Bob" and Mary

[Stuart McLachlan]

Hello Walt. Going round & round with this thing.

LOCAL Bob, _
Mary,t AS STRING

Bob$ = "Bob"
Mary$ = "Mary"

Bob$ = "Hello " + Bob$ + " and " + Mary$
t = ""

using t just for a breakpoint. Evaluating Bob$ gives "Hello Bob and Mary". Unfortunately still not what I need.

Correct, Walt's example didn't use quotes at all.

There are lots of ways to do it. Here's four for a start without even looking at the STRINGBUILDER object

'

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG
 LOCAL strTemp AS STRING
 strTemp = "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary"
 ? strTemp
 strTemp = "Hello " & $DQ & "Bob" & $DQ & " and Mary"
 ? strTemp
  strTemp = "Hello " & CHR$(34) & "Bob" & CHR$(34) & " and Mary"
 ? strTemp
 strTemp = CHR$("Hello",$DQ,"Bob",$DQ,"and Mary")
 ? strTemp
END FUNCTION
'

[Ray Crumrine]

I was about to post. As long as all I do is display it to a message box using ? it works but if I try to put it into a string variable it evaluates to "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary" every time!
must be some esoteric way of doing it.

[Michael Rice]

Ray,

In the examples that Stuart and I posted, we're using a string variable and the results look like what you're expecting.

[Rod Macia]

Ray can you show the failing code you are using?

is it possible you are using a
“ Opening double quote
” Closing double quote

instead of
" Straight double quote

[Stuart McLachlan]

Ray can you show the failing code you are using?

is it possible you are using a
“ Opening double quote
” Closing double quote

instead of
" Straight double quote

Or multiple single quotes?

[Ray Crumrine]

Hi Rod,

FUNCTION PBMAIN() AS LONG
LOCAL strTemp, t AS STRING
strTemp = "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary"
t=""
END FUNCTION

Put a breakpoint on the t="" line and evaluate strTemp. Evaluates to "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary" every time. I want to use the resultant string to feed a Windows/DOS command line and quotes around "Bob" are required. Maybe I'm missing something simple. I only see double quote on SHIFTed apostrophe key. I tried CHR$(34) to see if it made any difference but it didn't.

[Ray Crumrine]

Maybe I'll try PEEKing through the string and see what I find... Maybe an issue with the debugger but I'm pretty sure I tried sending the string to DOS and keep getting "syntax error"

[Dave Biggs]

I think the issue here may be what is shown (evaluated) in the PBEditor Variable watcher dialog during a debug session - not the text that the program delivers say, to a Message box ?

[Rod Macia]

Dave is correct nothing wrong with the content of your variable its the way the debugger displays the content that is confusing.

[Stuart McLachlan]

Hi Rod,

FUNCTION PBMAIN() AS LONG
LOCAL strTemp, t AS STRING
strTemp = "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary"
t=""
END FUNCTION

Put a breakpoint on the t="" line and evaluate strTemp. Evaluates to "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary" every time. I want to use the resultant string to feed a Windows/DOS command line and quotes around "Bob" are required. Maybe I'm missing something simple. I only see double quote on SHIFTed apostrophe key. I tried CHR$(34) to see if it made any difference but it didn't.

I see, It's all a misunderstanding on your part.
You are looking at a Watch on strTemp while debugging, not actually displaying the string



That is NOT the actual content of the string. Note that it also shows a leading and trailing double quote on the string. That Value is "escaping" the embedded double quote as well as surrounding the variable with the double quotes

Try
? str$(len(strTemp)) It is 20, not 24
or
? Mid$(strTemp, 6, 9).

[Stuart McLachlan]

Maybe I'll try PEEKing through the string and see what I find... Maybe an issue with the debugger but I'm pretty sure I tried sending the string to DOS and keep getting "syntax error"

What do you mean by "sending the string to DOS" ?
Please post the line generating the "syntax error" and details of the error.

[Rod Macia]

FUNCTION PBMAIN() AS LONG
LOCAL strTemp, t AS STRING
strTemp = "Hello ""Bob"" and Mary"
t=""

? strTemp + $CRLF + TxtToHex(strTemp)
END FUNCTION


FUNCTION TxtToHex (StrConvert AS STRING) AS STRING
LOCAL i AS LONG
LOCAL sb AS ISTRINGBUILDERA
sb = CLASS "StringBuilderA"

FOR i=1 TO LEN(StrConvert)
sb.add HEX$(ASC(StrConvert,i),2)+ $SPC
NEXT
FUNCTION = sb.string
END FUNCTION ' TxtToHex

---------------------------
PowerBASIC
---------------------------
Hello "Bob" and Mary

48 65 6C 6C 6F 20 22 42 6F 62 22 20 61 6E 64 20 4D 61 72 79
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------