LEN: Your String Measuring Tape
Ever wondered how long a word or phrase is? Need to know the exact number of characters in a string? Look no further than the LEN command, your trusty string measuring tape! This handy function takes any string of text and tells you its length, giving you valuable information for formatting, validation, and all sorts of text-based operations.
Syntax
LEN(<string>)
Where:
- <string>: The string of text you want to measure. This can be a literal string enclosed in quotes, a string variable, or even the result of another string expression.
Applications
The LEN command is your go-to tool when:
- Formatting text: Determine how many spaces to add for alignment, or whether a string will fit within a certain width.
- Validating input: Check if a password meets a minimum length requirement, or if a name field isn't empty.
- Parsing data: Identify the boundaries between different parts of a string based on their lengths.
- Creating word games: Count the number of letters in a word to score points or determine difficulty.
Code Examples
1. Simple String Length:
10 A$ = "Commodore 64"
20 L = LEN(A$) :rem L stores the length of A$
30 PRINT L :rem Output: 12
This example demonstrates how to find the length of the string "Commodore 64".
2. Checking Input Length:
10 input "enter a password (at least 8 characters): "; p$
20 if len(p$) < 8 then print "password too short!" : END
30 PRINT "PASSWORD OK"
Here, LEN is used to validate if a password meets a minimum length requirement.
LEN in the Wild: The Wordsmith's Assistant
Imagine you're writing a text editor for the Commodore 64. You could use LEN to display the current word count, helping the writer track their progress and stay within desired limits.
Don't let strings be a guessing game! With LEN in your toolbox, you can measure the length of any string with precision. It's a simple yet indispensable tool for anyone working with text on the Commodore 64. So embrace the power of LEN and let it be your guide to the world of string manipulation!
