How to separate text content inside a label into multiple text part

[PytByt]

Hi all..

I want to know how i can devided a content text that inside a label text automatically into multiple text part.

For example:
I have this value of label.text, and i want to divide it into 3 part

I want to divide it into 3 part, each part is separated with the number inside the bracket. (the number inside the bracket is not included into the devided part);

ie:

part1: 00884450005156 --> into label1.text
part2: 220228 --> into label2.text

part3: K1527906 --> into label3.text

Can i achieve this?
How?

Pleas help.

Thanks,

BR.

pytbyt

[PytByt]

Hello @mdevaney 

Thank you for all the troubled you have don for me.. much appreciate.

Your solution it work perfectly for my case. Could you please explain it to me how it works?

Also, is this solution can also implemented with different length of my number? i figure that i will work with random length of number like that.

Thanks,

PytByt

[FernandoTC · Accepted solution]

Hi @PytByt 

Sorry I couldn't answer before.

As I don't know the workflow of your app I'll give you a full solution assuming you want to convert the string when pressing a button.

What we are going to achieve is to have a collection with the 3 numbers you want to obtain, one in each row.

1. First, create a text input (TextInput1 in my example) where you are going to type the string to split when the app is running.
   
   
2. Then, add a button with the following code in the on the Onselect property:
   

   Clear(_NumberCollection);
   ForAll(
       Split(
           TextInput1.Text,
           "("
       ),
       If(
           !IsBlank(Result),
           Collect(
               _NumberCollection,
               Right(
                   Result,
                   Len(Result) - Find(
                       ")",
                       Result
                   )
               )
           )
       )
   )

   How does this work? We are going to store the numbers into a collection called _NumberCollection. So first, we clear that collection so the numbers obtained in the previous run are deleted.
   
   When using the function forall() we are going to perform an action for each of the items of a table specified as the first argument of this function. In this case, this table is going to be the split function with the same syntax as I gave you in my first reply. This will create a table with 4 items, being the first empty and the other 3 the numbers you want to obtain but preceded by the numbers between brackets and ")".
   
   The second argument of the Forall() function is the action we want to perform. So, we want to add to the collection _NumberCollection the final numbers. To get rid of the blank entry created in the first split, we apply this action only if the result of the function split is not blank. And then, we Collect the final numbers by using the expression I gave you in my first reply.
   
   This gives us a Collection _NumberCollection with the three numbers you want to obtain. 
3. If you want to refer to a number stored in this collection, you can use the following expressions:
   -For the first number: 

   First(_NumberCollection).Value

   -For the second number:
   

   Last(FirstN(_NumberCollection,2)).Value

   -For the third number:

   Last(_NumberCollection).Value

   I think this syntax speaks by itself.
   
   
   

Hope this solution is what you wanted, and don't hesitate to ask for more help.

Have a good day.

[PytByt]

Hi @FernandoTC 

Thank you for the datails explaination. 

That is fantastic.

And it work perfectly as well. 
Thank you so much!

BR.

pytbyt

[mdevaney]

@PytByt 

Here's how my solution works:

MatchAll(your_text_string, your_pattern) accepts a text-string argument and searches for any substrings matching a pattern you define.  The result is a table with all matches in a column named FullMatch.

In your example we want to search a serial number for the following substrings: (01)00884450005156(17)220228(10)K1527906.  I noticed that the substrings are composed of one or more characters in the range 0-9 or A-Z.  The pattern can be described as a regular expression "w/+".

When we write the function MatchAll("(01)00884450005156(17)220228(10)K1527906","\w+") the result is a table:

FullMatch

01

00884450005156

17

220228

10

K1527906

You only wanted to obtain these segements of the serial number (01)00884450005156(17)220228(10)K1527906 .  Now that we've converted the text string to a table this information can be obtained using the FirstN and Last functions.

For example, let's extract the value 00884450005156 from the table we ust created using MatchAll.  Notice that 00884450005156 is found in the 2nd row of the table.  We can write a FirstN function to obtain the 1st 2 rows of the table:  FirstN(your_MatchAll_function,2)

FullMatch

01

00884450005156

We only want the final row of data so now we use the Last function and are left with a single-row table:  Last(your_FirstN_function)

FullMatch

00884450005156

Finally, we want to return a text value so we need to add .property to Last.  Otherwise it would return a table:  Last(your_FirstN_function).FullMatch

The full formula is:

Last(FirstN(MatchAll("(01)00884450005156(17)220228(10)K1527906","\w+"),2)).FullMatch

And the result is:

00884450005156

Relevant Links

• RegexOne:  use this resource to learn pattern matching in one-hour https://regexone.com/
• Regex101:  use this resource to test regex statements (I like the Python flavor) https://regex101.com/
• MS Docs for Regex Syntax:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/1400241x(v=vs.100)?redirectedfrom=MSDN
• MS Docs for MatchAll: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/functions/function-ismatch

Quote of the day:

"If we're going to teach kids to use PowerPoint and word processors as part of their core education, we should be teaching them regular expressions. Very few pieces of technical arcana have their widespread applicability – and the present lack of widespread appreciation." - Cory Doctorow

[PytByt]

Hi @mdevaney 

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. 

It makes me realize how important this community are. There’s still so much more i should learn.

Hoped that you’ll never stop helping newbie like me mate.

Cheers,

pytbyt

[mdevaney]

@PytByt 

You are very welcome. I enjoyed working on this problem with you.

[PytByt]

@mdevaney 

Glad to hear that mate..

I will post next problem related to this matter if so..

Cheers,

pytbyt

[PytByt]

Hello again @mdevaney and @FernandoTC 

I'm back with another problem that i hard to solve. Still in the same case, with random length of number/text and also with the same bracket format. That number/text format i get it from scanned barcode with onScan property of barcode scanner control.

Assume that the format wont change, but the length is. How can i possibly know that the barcode that i scanned is having the exact format? (with three bracket contain in it)

Can this approach achieve with powerapps?

How?

Please help.

Thanks,

pytbyt


Edit:
PS.
i.e: "(01)V-00207(17)22028(10)8121971" --> random length and also got different format number/text.

And if i got the format above, i think i cant use this formula anymore:
Last(FirstN(MatchAll(Label1_1.Text,"\w*"),4)).FullMatch

[FernandoTC]

Hi @PytByt 

I'm not sure if I understood your problem, but given the solution I proposed to you, if you want to know how many numbers are extracted from your barcode (In the case of the Text example we are using in this post, 3 numbers) you only have to use the function CountRows():

CountRows(_NumberCollection)

This will count the rows of the current number splitted and stored in _NumberCollection, which in this case is the amount of numbers in which you split your barcode reading.

Than you can use that expression within If() statements to decide what to do with your code depending on the "format" of your barcode reading.

Hope this helps.

[PytByt]

Hi @FernandoTC 

Thanks for your reply.

But, what i want to achieve is:
1. Check if the format is right, for example of the right format:
    (01)V00207(17)22028(10)8121971
    (01)0088445000515546(17)22028(10)K1527906
     .....and many more with different random length.

2. I need to know if the right format is there with the bracket also (three bracket included in the format). If the bracket is only two, then is not the right format, ie: Error.

Can you help me?

Thanks,

pytbyt