MID$: Your String Surgeon

MID$: Your String Surgeon

Need to extract a specific piece from the middle of a word or phrase? Want to surgically remove a section of text? Look no further than the MID$ command, your string surgeon! This versatile function lets you pinpoint any part of a string and extract the characters you want, leaving the rest untouched. It's like having a scalpel for your text!

Syntax

MID$(<string>, <start>, <length>)

Where: - <string>: The string you want to extract characters from. - <start>: The position (starting from 1) of the first character you want to extract. - <length>: The number of characters you want to extract.

Applications

The MID$ function is your go-to tool when:

  • Extracting substrings: Grab a word from a sentence, a date from a string, or any other specific portion.
  • Replacing text: Remove or modify a certain section of a string without affecting the rest.
  • Parsing data: Isolate specific fields from structured text formats.
  • Creating word games: Scramble words by rearranging their characters.

Code Examples

1. Simple Substring Extraction:

10 A$ = "Commodore 64"
20 B$ = MID$(A$, 11, 2) :rem B$ stores "64"
30 PRINT B$             :rem Output: 64

This example extracts the characters "64" from the string "Commodore 64".

2. Replacing Text:

10 A$ = "Hello, world!"
20 B$ = MID$(A$, 8, 5)      :rem B$ stores "world"
30 A$ = "Bye, " + B$ + "!"  :rem Replace "world" with "B$" in A$
40 PRINT A$                 :rem Output: Hello, world!

Here, MID$ is used to replace a portion of a string.

MID$ in the Wild: The Data Miner

Imagine you're working with a large text file containing customer data. The MID$ command can be your trusty data miner, helping you extract specific fields like names, addresses, or phone numbers for further processing or analysis.

Don't let your strings be a mystery! With MID$, you can precisely dissect and manipulate your text, extracting the information you need with surgical precision. It's a powerful tool that can simplify string operations and make your Commodore 64 programs more efficient. So embrace the versatility of MID$ and become a master of string manipulation!